Closed Loop PET Recycling Plant, Thames Gateway, United Kingdom

To meet the UK's growing need for polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling, the country's first PET recycling facility is being built in the Thames Gateway in Barking and Dagenham in east London.

The plant is being managed by Closed Loop Environmental Solutions of London, part of Visy Closed Loop, which has been successfully recycling PET in Australia since 2001. The UK plant will convert 35,000t per year of wastewater, soft drinks and cosmetics PET bottles into food packaging (910 million bottles).

The plant is due to open in December 2007 and has cost £12m to construct and outfit

PET RECYCLING PROCESS

The plant will use a patented process technology developed by the South Carolina-based United Resource Recovery Corporation. The process will sort, granulate and super-clean the recycled plastic bottles to produce a high-quality raw material (PET granules or crumb) that has been tested and passed as safe for use in food applications in the US and Europe.

PROJECT FINANCE

The project is being funded by a number of private partners including the venture capitalists Foresight Venture Partners and the Allied Irish Bank. The project is also due to receive a quantity of public sector funding from the London Development Agency (who have provided the site) and the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

CONTRACTORS

The Haden Freeman Group (HFL) was appointed to build the recycling plant. The plant will be operated by Birwelco (a subsidiary of HFL).