Waste management firm SITA UK, the company responsible for processing Aberdeen City Council’s waste, plans to build the facility at Altens Industrial Estate in the south of the city.

SITA claim the recycling centre could process “virtually all” of the city’s waste, effectively eliminating its £5m annual landfill bill.

The facility is expected to open in 2016 if councillors approve the plan. A proposal of application notice, the first step towards full planning permission, was submitted in November last year and public consultations were held in January and February.

The facility would be capable of dealing with mixed recycling from both homes and businesses. Mixed recyclables would be split into individual materials and a refuse-derived fuel facility will process black bag waste that has not been recycled. Waste which cannot be recycled could be sold on and used in energy from waste plants.

The four-hectare site at Altens Industrial Estate was chosen as SITA UK’s preferred location because of its size, industrial setting and distance from homes.

The recycling centre would create 40 long-term jobs and 60 more during construction.