Biffa Polymers is set to double the output of its Redcar plastics recycling facility with a £6.5-million investment in a new recycling line.
According to the Biffa subsidiary, opening a second recycled high-density polyethylene (rHPDE) line at its Teesside site will enable it to double its output of food grade rHDPE, used to make milk bottles and food trays, from 10,000 to 20,000 tonnes.
Biffa Polymers says the new line, which is due to be operational by 2017, will provide extra capacity for plastics recycling at a time when the wider plastics recycling industry is experiencing instability.
Indeed, factors such as the low price of oil have seen several UK plastic recycling plants, including the Closed Loop Recycling plant in Dagenham, either shut down or be mothballed in the past year. The Closed Loop facility, which provided rHDPE for the dairy industry, shut last June, with the loss of 120 jobs, despite a YouGov poll finding that a majority of people would pay more for a bottle of milk to support the recycling industry.
‘Putting capacity back into the market’
Commenting on the expansion, Chris Hanlon, Commercial Director at Biffa Polymers, said: “The creation of a new rHDPE line at our Redcar plant will put capacity back into the market to meet the growing demand that we are seeing, which is particularly important given recent events in the plastics recycling industry.
“Enabling us to double our output, this investment in our facilities and the additional infrastructure it provides will also mean that more scrap plastic generated by UK households can be processed here in the UK rather than being sent abroad for processing.
“We remain committed to continued investment and improvement in our facilities and our expert team are open to exploring possible growth strategies that will enable us to enhance our offering and increase our processing capacity further in future.”
Learn more about the Biffa Polymers’ facility in Resource magazine’s in-depth feature.
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