Viridor agrees to provide recycled plastics to Unilever

UK-based recycling and waste management company Viridor has agreed to supply its recycled plastics to consumer goods company Unilever.

According to a five-year contract, Unilever will receive recycled plastic from Viridor’s Avonmouth Resource Recovery Centre.

The £65m centre near Bristol will be powered by energy generated from its £252m energy recovery facility in Avonmouth.

The UK’s multi-polymer plastics recycling plant will produce 60KTPA of high quality recycled plastic from 81KTPA feedstock a year. It will increase production  to 63KTPA of recycled material 89KTPA in three years.

Viridor Resource Management managing director Keith Trower said: “Viridor and Unilever are committed to helping the UK achieve its recycling and sustainability targets and this contract demonstrates how we are translating that ambition in action.

“By putting more recycled plastic back into the economy, and powering that process with non-recyclable waste, we are creating a sustainable solution and ensuring consumer brands, such as Unilever, have access to quality post-consumer recycled material.”

Unilever previously collaborated with Viridor and Nextek to develop detectable black plastic packaging.

The packaging was for Unilever’s TRESemmé and Lynx personal care brands.

Viridor MD Phil Piddington said: “Reprocessed plastic uses 50% less electricity than virgin plastic, which is already a very persuasive argument in favour of recycled materials.

“When we reduce our energy consumption further by tapping into the low carbon power created through energy recovery, we can achieve even greater sustainability and environmental efficiency.”