£6.1 million injection will see Mercers recycle up to 50,000 tonnes of packaging waste into construction products

Thanks to an injection of £6.1 million, including the help of PRN funding, the UK’s largest producer of damp-proof membranes is increasing its capacity for recycling ethylene-based plastics by 66 per cent. 

Mercers, which is based in Bolton, transforms plastic packaging waste into 100 per cent recycled damp-proof membrane. The new, high-tech equipment will allow it to recycle up to 50,000 tonnes of plastics each year, making sure that UK waste is dealt with responsibly in the UK.

Ben Richardson, Procurement Director at compliance scheme Valpak, a Reconomy Group company, which worked with Mercers to secure the PRN funding through a long-term contract to supply PRNs, said: “This is exactly the kind of investment we need to ensure that UK packaging waste is securely recycled on these shores. As a manufacturer, as well as a recycling business, Mercers offers additional circularity by guaranteeing a market for the material recycled.

“Across the industry, we are seeing greater demand for UK-produced PRNs, while upcoming legislation, such as the Plastic Packaging Tax, is driving demand for recycled material. At Valpak, 65 per cent of our PRNs are sourced from UK reprocessors – compared with a UK market average of 48 per cent – and we support UK recycling wherever possible.”

Managing Director at Mercers, Doug Mercer, said: “We see stories in the news about UK waste being dumped in the Far East. This investment will help to make sure that UK waste packaging stays in the UK where it can be properly recycled.” 

As well as being more powerful than Mercers’ previous equipment, the machines are more carbon-friendly. They provide a 30 per cent saving on the energy needed for recycling. 

The system shreds ethylene-based plastics waste, such as HDPE and LDPE, before heating it until it becomes a liquid. It is then filtered, pelletised and moulded to produce Toughsheet’s damp-proof membrane.

The equipment is in the commissioning stage, and expected to be fully up and running by January 2022. The company will also employ an extra 26 employees, to join the existing staff of 74.

Ends

Editors notes

·      Mercers was founded over 50 years ago, and began recycling plastics in the 1980s. Over the last 15 years, the company has undergone rapid expansion.

·      Mercer’s sister company, Toughsheet, is the UK’s largest producer of damp-proof membrane. The membrane is 100 per cent recycled, manufactured from waste plastics.

·      Valpak’s mission is to create a sustainable, waste-free world. We are driven, not by today. We are driven by tomorrow.

·      We help our clients to reduce waste and recycle more, continually innovating and using leading data science and expertise to inspire businesses, help push ourselves – and our industry – forward. We don’t just show our customers how to navigate waste regulations; we help them become more sustainable, through our ever-increasing capabilities and pioneering innovations. 

·      Valpak is the largest environmental compliance scheme in the UK. We work with major names, such as J Sainsbury’s, ASOS, and Miele, and manages compliance for more than 2,000 businesses. In 2017, it celebrated its 20th anniversary.

·      Valpak is a Reconomy Group company. Reconomy is the UK’s largest provider of outsourced resource management and recycling services. It works with customers of all sizes across industry sectors, using a technology-enabled, value-added approach to help businesses reach its sustainability goals. Following the acquisitions of Noventiz and RLG in Germany in 2020, adding further specialism in compliance and international product returns, the Reconomy Group’s aim is to become the leading global provider of services to drive the circular economy.

·      Valpak services include:

o   Compliance under Waste Packaging, WEEE, and Battery Directives.

o   Data insights.

o   International compliance.

o   Recycling services (total waste management options and solutions for niche materials).

o   Consultancy.

o   Accreditation under environmental schemes, such as Zero Waste to Landfill. 

Valpak invests in pioneering systems and expertise which enable its customers to analyse, assess and improve product design. The Product Data Hub, Insight Platform and dedicated teams work together to drive change.