Acquisition of rigid plastics recycler

The acquisition marks a major step in RPC bpi recycled products' ongoing commitment to work towards a world where nothing goes to waste. The deal was signed on 13 August 2018. PLASgran recycles nearly 50,000 tonnes of rigid plastics, and a series of strategic investments in recent years has positioned the company based in Wimblington, Cambridgeshire as a best-in-class recycler. PLASgran was launched in 1999 and is run by a management team led by Mark Roberts.

RPC bpi recycled products is described as the largest polythene film recycler in Europe, with the scope and expertise to recycle over 120,000 tonnes of used plastic a year. As a leading reprocessor the company, with bases in Dumfries, Derbyshire, Gwent and Gloucestershire, recycles polythene from commercial, industrial, packaging and agricultural sources. Together, both companies will be able to spearhead the UK's efforts to meet the surge in demand for packaging made from recycled plastics.

The merging of two of the UK's leading names in recycling will serve the UK and mainland Europe markets and will give added momentum to creating market-leading sustainable solutions to its customers. To be the leading recycling solutions provider, RPC bpi recycled products has made customer service and environmental stewardship central elements to everything it does.

Gerry McGarry, managing director of RPC bpi recycled products, said: “With PLASgran joining our RPC bpi recycled products group, we are now clearly the largest plastics recycler in the UK and one of the largest in Europe. This is great news not just for both our business and our customers, but for the wider society. We are in a unique new position to help the UK step up its efforts to meet evermore pressing sustainability goals and to help the environment.

“There is a huge demand for increased UK and European plastics recycling for both environmental and commercial reasons. Many major brands and retailers, for example, are quite rightly demanding their packaging is produced and manufactured from genuine recycled used plastics. With our technology, expertise and newly enlarged business we can offer our customers a true ‘closed loop’ solution for the supply and recycling of their packaging.”

Mark Roberts, MD of PLASgran, commented: “We are both respected and well-established recyclers in our markets: RPC bpi recycled products focuses on plastic films, whilst we have developed a major presence in the recycling of rigid plastics with expertise in creating our own recyclate blends. Our combined businesses have state-of-the-art recycling equipment, while both teams have an understanding of the issues facing users of plastic packaging who want to see their packaging re-cycled and remanufactured into new products.”

Mark, who will continue to run the PLASgran business and will join the RPC bpi recycled products Business Unit Executive Team, continued: “This acquisition provides a major growth opportunity for both our businesses through an extended service offering for our clients. As both organisations accelerate their activities on their environmental stewardship, we will be best positioned to support them on that journey and twin sustainability drives with best business practice.”