World’s largest plastics recycling plant inaugurated

26-May-12

The world’s largest recycling plant has been inaugurated. ECO Plastics and Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd (CCE) have announced the official opening of their new joint venture, Continuum Recycling. Completed on time and on budget, the £15 million facility is a first for Great Britain and brings the recycling process full-circle, with used plastic packaging sorted and reprocessed domestically, before returning to GB shelves as part of another bottle. The Continuum Recycling plant will more than double the amount of bottle-grade recycled plastic (rPET) previously created in Britain, and will allow CCE to meet its commitment to use 25% rPET in all its bottles by the end of 2012. The factory is located at ECO Plastics’ existing site in Lincolnshire, which, with the additional capacity, becomes the world’s largest plastics reprocessing facility. Continuum Recycling will be used this summer by Coca-Cola as part of an initiative to collect Coke and additional PET soft drinks bottles and turn them back into new bottles on the shelves within six weeks. Continuum Recycling is the first time that the beverage and recycling industries have formed a long-term strategic partnership and will provide CCE with high-quality rPET for a minimum of ten years. It will save around 33,500 tons of CO2 per year, the equivalent of taking over 15,715 cars off the road. 30 new skilled jobs have been created for the local area as a result of the partnership. Simon Baldry, Managing Director of Coca-Cola Enterprises, said: "Today’s opening of this £15m state-of-the-art facility will transform recycling in this country and ensure that we achieve our ambition of incorporating 25 percent recycled PET in our plastic bottles. This is a first for the industry and an important milestone in our ongoing efforts to build a low-carbon, zero waste business here in Great Britain." Environment Minister Lord Taylor of Holbeach commented: "With the opening of this facility, the UK is now home to the world’s largest plastics recycling plant, bringing jobs and growth to the rural economy of Lincolnshire. Coca-Cola Enterprises and ECO Plastics innovation and investment has made this project a reality – exactly what we want to see more of right across the country."