The firm, which has its headquarters in Skelmersdale, in Lancashire, specialises in processing high density polyethylene (HDPE) and polyethylene terephthate (PET) plastics bottles.
The plant has a capacity to treat 40,000 tonnes-a-year of plastics It converts the plastic into either pellets or flakes which are then sold on to plastics manufacturers within the UK. 
A spokesman said the reprocessing company had been purchased as part of Viridor's strategy to expand its waste management activities.
Colin Drummond, chief executive of Viridor, said that plastics were “a significant and growing part of the company's recycling business” and added that current UK waste strategies are demanding ever increasing levels of recycling.
He explained that the newly-purchased facility was particularly suited to Viridor's business at the moment.
He said: “Intercontinental Recycling has an excellent geographic and business fit with Viridor's existing operations and is particularly well placed to receive volumes from the Viridor/Laing Greater Manchester PFI.”
In April this year Viridor, which is part of the Pennon Group, signed a £3.8 billion waste treatment PFI contract with the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority alongside equity investors, Laing (see letsrecycle.com story).
Mr Drummonmd said that the new plastics recycling facility was expected to enhance Viridor's earnings within the first year of ownership.
The facility first opened in October 2007 with a capacity of 30,000 tonnes-a-year. At the time it was hailed as one of the largest plastic bottle recycling plants in the country (see letsrecycle.com story ).
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