Closing the loop for UK homeware
Biffa and ReBorn have been working together for a while to reduce the reliance on virgin plastic in homeware. The UK throws away nearly 70 million homeware items each year, most made from imported virgin materials. ReBorn products not only look great, they’re made from 100% Biffa recycled plastic right here in the UK.
Since our partnership began, ReBorn products have been flying off the shelves, showing that consumers are willing to invest a little more in premium homeware made from recycled content. Now there’s even more reason to be excited, as ReBorn launches a new product designed to help households prepare for the upcoming Simpler Recycling rules taking effect from 31 March 2026.
Get ready for new household recycling rules
Once the regulations go live, Local Authorities will supply both food and expanded recycling services to households to help boost England recycling rates. One of the key changes is that food waste will be collected separately across the whole of England. The great news is ReBorn’s new food bin makes it simple for households to separate food waste in their kitchen – and do it in style!
To celebrate, we asked ReBorn homeware superfan and content producer Kirsty to explore the supply chain and share the closed-loop story of how Biffa and ReBorn work together to create circular homeware.
Exploring the ReBorn supply chain
Explore the circular supply chain
The process begins at Biffa Polymers in Redcar, where post-industrial plastic waste is shredded, cleaned and melted into recycled polypropylene pellets. These pellets form the foundation of ReBorn’s manufacturing process, offering a high-quality, UK-made alternative to virgin plastic while supporting the development of domestic recycling infrastructure.
From there, the recycled pellets are delivered to ReBorn’s manufacturing site in Wiltshire, where they are moulded into a wide range of high-end kitchen and bathroom products. Every stage of production, from material sourcing to packaging, takes place in the UK. This local approach reduces transport emissions, shortens supply chains and ensures complete traceability from waste collection to finished product.
The result is a fully circular process. Waste plastic collected in the UK becomes durable, attractive homeware that supports recycling at home. When each item reaches the end of its life, it can be recycled again, keeping valuable materials in use.
Innovation through partnership
Amy Hooper, Head of Innovation at Biffa, says collaboration has been key to making this circular model work. “Simpler Recycling is an important step forward for household waste management,” she explains. “Our role is to ensure that the materials people separate at home can be transformed into something new and useful. Working with ReBorn shows how high-quality recycled polymers can support innovation, reduce carbon and help the UK build a more sustainable manufacturing base.”
ReBorn founder and CEO Brian Walmsley agrees that design and sustainability must go hand in hand. “We wanted to prove that homeware made from recycled materials could match the style and quality of anything made from virgin plastic,” he says.
Impact and scale
Both the new bins – the compact flexible-plastic SquishBin and the Food Waste Bin – are made from 100% recycled polypropylene sourced from Biffa’s Redcar plant. They are fully recyclable at the end of their life and are manufactured, assembled and packaged in the UK. Analysis by Brunel University has shown that by manufacturing locally and using recycled materials, ReBorn’s process reduces carbon emissions by around 79% compared with conventional imported production.
The products will be available through leading UK retailers including John Lewis, Next, Dunelm and B&Q. Each item demonstrates how recycled material can re-enter the economy as a high-value, desirable product – a tangible example of circular design at work.
For Biffa, the partnership with ReBorn highlights the value of connecting recycling operations directly with British manufacturing. For ReBorn, it’s proof that sustainable design can scale commercially. Together, they show how waste can be re-engineered into products that look good, perform well and help households take the next step towards a circular economy.
