The fully redeveloped facility is due to open in January 2027 and will initially provide 25,000 tonnes per annum of SDA processing capacity, with the potential to increase throughput to 35,000 tonnes in the future.
According to the waste management company, the investment comes at a time when dedicated, fully compliant SDA treatment capacity in England remains constrained, underlining the need for additional infrastructure to manage growing volumes of waste electricals.
Barry Phillips, Managing Director – e-Waste, Plastics and Glass at Enva, said: “This investment marks a major step forward in closing the UK’s gap in compliant SDA treatment capacity.
“Our new facility brings together best-in-class technology to maximise the recovery of critical raw materials.”
Increasing SDA treatment capacity
Enva said the new Stourbridge facility will deploy Best Available Technique (BAT) processes designed to maximise material recovery while improving operational efficiency.
Features of the site will include segregated external storage for incoming SDA material and pre-pick systems to identify and remove batteries before processing.
Advanced automated separation technology will target high-value materials such as non-ferrous metals and printed circuit boards, while a highly automated process will reduce the need for manual handling.
Once operational, the investment will increase Enva’s total SDA recycling capacity across the UK and Ireland to more than 80,000 tonnes per annum, complementing its existing operations in Toomebridge, Northern Ireland, and Perth, Scotland.
The Stourbridge site will also become the only facility in the UK capable of delivering fully compliant, end-to-end processing of fridge compressors.
A fully automated processing line will enable the efficient recovery of critical raw materials, including copper and aluminium.
Enva said the development responds directly to the Environment Agency’s ban on the export of fridge compressors, providing domestic infrastructure capable of retaining valuable materials within the UK supply chain.
Enva’s WEEE recycling investments
The announcement follows other recent investments by Enva in the UK’s WEEE recycling infrastructure.
Earlier this year, the company announced plans for a new fridge recycling facility at Goodman’s Crossways Commercial Park in Dartford, Kent, which is expected to be completed in late 2026.
Phillips added: “By introducing fully automated fridge compressor processing in the UK, we’re not only responding to regulatory change but also ensuring high-value materials like copper are recovered at exceptional purity and retained within the domestic supply chain.
“This is a practical step towards a more circular and resource-efficient future for WEEE processing.”
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