Coca Cola Enterprises invested significantly to increase capacity at ECOs Lincolnshire plant, boosting the extrusion capacity from 15,000 tonnes to around 60,000 tonnes per year, and increasing the wash line to around 70,000 tonnes per year.
The joint venture forms a part of Coca-Colas pledge to use 25% recycled PET plastic in all its plastic bottles produced in the UK, with the two firms forming the joint venture Continuum Recycling Ltd.
A total of 15 million was spent to upgrade the plant, following an additional 1.15 million loan from the Waste & Resources Action Programmes (WRAP) Mixed Plastics Loan Fund, granted in February 2012 to expand the plants sorting capacity.
Recycled plastic flake produced at the Hemswell recycling plant is used at Coca Colas bottle manufacturing plants in Wakefield, Milton Keynes and Edmonton.
Scale
Jonathan Short, managing director of ECO Plastics, said: Continuum was built in record time. Taking ten months to move from ground breaking to full commissioning for a plant this scale and sophistication is no small achievement. Now to be exceeding our ramp up plan is further testament to the expertise, dedication and determination of our team.
This is another great milestone for Continuum. Id like to thank our partners, Coca-Cola Enterprises, for everything they have done in making today happen.
With capacity to sort around 150,000 tonnes of plastic bottles per year, ECO Plastics claim that the Hemswell plant is the largest plastic bottle recycling facility anywhere in the world. The company also believes it is responsible for producing 50% of the recycled PET produced in the UK.
Nick Brown, associate director for recycling at Coca-Cola Enterprises, said: Continuum has proven to be a landmark initiative for the reprocessing industry. This state-of-the-art facility is a first for the industry and is truly transforming recycling in this country. Our partnership with ECO Plastics has helped us reach an important milestone in our on-going efforts to build a low-carbon, zero waste business here in Great Britain.
In the short time since opening, Continuum has allowed us to achieve our ambition of incorporating 25% recycled PET in all our plastic bottles and played a key role in helping to deliver a sustainable legacy for the London 2012 Olympic Games. Its success should demonstrate to everyone, from householders to local authorities and policy makers, the real environmental and economic benefits of recycling and the vast potential of the GB reprocessing sector.
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