Biffa acquires North Yorkshire recycler Esterpet

Biffa, a UK leader in sustainable waste management, has announced the acquisition of North Yorkshire based Esterpet Ltd, a recycler of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) plastic.

From its state-of-the-art recycling facility near Leeds, Esterpet converts 25,000 tonnes of plastic flakes each year, generated from recycled bottles, into high-purity plastic pellets.

PET is a commonly used material to package soft drinks and mineral water, and is popular as it is lightweight, durable, and highly recyclable, producing significantly lower carbon emissions than many alternatives.

The pellets produced by Esterpet are made into new plastic bottles for beverages, cosmetics and household goods, with the company’s customers including some of the largest brands in the UK and Europe.

This latest acquisition builds on Biffa’s existing strong capabilities in closed-loop food grade plastic recycling, including its plants in Seaham, Redcar and Washington where it already converts over 165,000 tonnes of plastic each year into high quality recycled polymers.

Alongside the acquisition of Esterpet Ltd, Biffa has made a minority investment in its sister company Esterform, a leading manufacturer of PET preforms, and looks forward to working with Esterform and its other partners to deliver a UK circular economy for plastic packaging.

Phil Goodier, Biffa Polymers Managing Director, said: “At Biffa, we are dedicated to playing our part in delivering a net zero, circular economy and it is vital that we continue to develop and invest in recycling infrastructure which can reduce the UK’s dependency on the export of plastics for recycling.

“Biffa Polymers provides solutions for the majority of post-consumer rigid plastic packaging, using the best available recycling technology to produce raw materials that are a substitute for virgin plastic packaging.

“The acquisition of Esterpet is another step forward for the business, further enhancing our capability in recycled PET at a time when demand for our solutions is growing significantly, as consumers and regulators demand more sustainable alternatives.”

To find out more about plastics and recycling, visit www.biffa.co.uk/waste-services-and-products/recycling-and-recovery-processes/plastic-recycling