The site, set to process 80,000 tonnes of plastic annually, will create over 130 permanent jobs in addition to those required during construction. Operations are scheduled to begin in early 2026.
The announcement was made to coincide with French President Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to the UK and marks Veolia’s largest plastics recycling investment in the country to date.
The development will include the UK’s first dedicated “tray-to-tray” closed-loop PET recycling facility. The site will process post-consumer PET1 trays and bottles, turning them into food-grade flake suitable for new packaging, aimed primarily at the UK grocery and food manufacturing sector.
The UK currently lacks infrastructure to recycle PET trays back into food-grade material at scale, due to the challenges in meeting stringent contamination and quality standards. Veolia said it is using its existing experience in similar international operations to close this gap in the UK recycling system.
Plastic input will be sourced from household and commercial collections nationwide. Once operational, the Shropshire facility will sort, shred, wash and flake mixed plastics, reducing reliance on virgin plastic and cutting associated CO₂ emissions. According to Veolia, using recycled plastic can save up to 70% of the emissions linked to virgin material production.
The project is said to be part of Veolia’s broader plan to invest £1 billion in circular economy infrastructure in the UK by 2030. In addition to the Shropshire site, ongoing UK investments include an expansion of the Southwark district heating network, which will connect an additional 5,000 homes to heat recovered from the SELCHP energy-from-waste plant.
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