Biffa upgrades UK recycling facility in “significant” use of pEPR funding

Biffa, a major waste management company, has reopened a materials recovery facility in Suffolk, UK, following a £12 million (US$15.7 million) upgrade that includes a new glass processing plant, advanced sorting technology, enhanced fire protection systems, and additional site capacity. 

Development of the Masons facility was funded through a £6 million (US$7.85 million) investment from Biffa and £6 million (US$7.85 million) from the UK’s packaging EPR (pEPR), reportedly one of the first “significant examples” of the polluter pays principle to be used to update UK recycling infrastructure. 

“The £12 million transformation of our Masons facility has created a modern recycling hub that can process more material, recover higher quality recyclate, and support the changing requirements of household recycling collections,” Steve Cole, managing director at Biffa Municipal, tells Packaging Insights. 

Once operational, the site is expected to process up to 65,000 metric tons of recycling annually in Suffolk and Braintree in Essex, UK. 

Cole explains that the introduction of glass processing at the facility means that residents can now recycle glass bottles and jars through curbside collections and “help to increase capture rates.” 

Funding for the future 

The £6 million (US$7.85 million) pEPR funding was allocated by Pack UK, the UK’s producer responsibility organization, and distributed by Suffolk County Council and Braintree District Council. 

Cole says that the upgraded facility is a “tangible example” of how pEPR funding can be used to create “long-term environmental benefits.” 

“The project demonstrates how pEPR funding, combined with industry investment, can accelerate upgrades to recycling infrastructure.” 

However, he adds that long-term policy certainty and clear implementation timelines will be “essential” to support further investment across the UK recycling sector. 

The UK’s EPR scheme is intended to shift the responsibility and cost of packaging waste management from taxpayers and local authorities to businesses that use and supply the packaging. 

Jeremy Blake, CEO of Pack UK, adds: “It is fantastic to see pEPR funding being used to strengthen the UK’s recycling infrastructure and deliver better recycling outcomes.” 

“The transformation of Biffa’s Masons facility is exactly the kind of collaboration we want to see — with PackUK, local authorities, and industry working together to improve recycling and make better use of valuable resources.” 

Securing domestic capacity 

Alongside creating additional capacity and improving material quality, the facility also aims to support a dual-stream recycling system in six districts and borough councils in the region. 

Cole adds: “The investment has not only helped prepare the site for Suffolk’s move to dual-stream recycling but also for wider reforms, including the rollout of separate food waste collections through Simpler Recycling.” 

“By improving the separation of paper, card, plastics and glass, the upgraded facility will produce cleaner material streams and recover more recyclable material from household waste.” 

Biffa says that the upgraded facility also includes new optical sorting technology, film extraction, a twin-ram baler, and a welfare and office block. 

“Together, these improvements are expected to divert more material away from Suffolk’s energy-from-waste facility and back into manufacturing supply chains, delivering environmental benefits and better recycling outcomes,” concludes Cole. 

Last year, Biffa closed its recycling plant in Washington, Sunderland, UK, citing a challenging market and regulatory conditions behind the decision. Biffa has also called on the UK Government to cease exporting plastic waste. 

“The global economic climate, the regional competitive conditions in terms of power and labor costs, and the domestic concerns in the regulatory environment are all currently not conducive to UK recycling,” a Biffa spokesperson told Packaging Insights. 

A report by the waste management company found that the UK could open 15 recycling facilities, create 9,000 jobs, and add £900 million (US$1.20 billion) to the economy annually if it stopped exporting unprocessed plastic packaging waste by 2030.