Wales to double its plastic reprocessing capacity with £45M investment by Jayplas

08 Sep 2023 --- Jayplas, a leading player in plastic reprocessing, is spearheading an investment of £45 million (US$56 million) to develop an advanced facility in Wales designed to process over 100,000 metric tons of flexible and rigid plastics annually.

The undertaking is set to significantly increase Wales’ plastic reprocessing capacity. Once the facility is fully operational, it is expected to reduce Wales’ carbon footprint by approximately 150,000 metric tons annually. 

According to the Welsh government, this reduction is equivalent to the emissions from 120,000 cars, marking a “substantial stride” toward achieving zero waste and net zero emissions by 2050.

The development of the facility will take place in three phases: A mixed curbside rigid plastics and film sorting plant, a bottle wash and extrusion plant and a flexible packaging wash and processing plant.

Welcoming the project, Minister for the Economy Vaughan Gething emphasized the positive impact on the workforce and the alignment with Wales’ net zero ambitions. 

“Increasing capacity to reprocess and recycle plastic here in Wales opens opportunities to create an innovative and [environmentally] sustainable industry. This project includes significant skilled and green job creation, supports our decarbonization journey, increases our reprocessing and recycling capacity and supports a stronger, fairer and greener economy,” he says.

Welsh circularity advancement
The project will generate more than 100 new job opportunities at the former Toyoda Gosei UK factory in Swansea. Shigenori Matsuo, managing director Toyoda Gosei UK (TGUK) says: “I am delighted that TGUK has created a lasting legacy for the site in Swansea to provide Jayplas with a strong foundation for developing a state-of-the-art facility, investment, growth and employment in the area.”

Welsh Minister for Climate Change, Julie James, echoed the sentiment of this facility’s alignment with Wales’ environmental sustainability goals. She notes that the project coincides with the upcoming Workplace Recycling Regulations, set to be introduced in April next year, which will further enhance the supply of high-quality plastic for recycling.

Furthermore, Kerry O’Neill, commercial manager at Jayplas, expressed the company’s excitement about the new Plastics Processing and Manufacturing plant in Swansea. 

“We have worked closely with the Welsh Government to expand our operations into Wales. We will utilize the latest, state-of-the-art technology to ensure market-leading facilities producing the highest quality products and bring long-term investment and sustainable employment to the area.”

Jayplas currently operates film processing plants in Birmingham and Grimsby, a plastics recovery facility in Alfreton, PET wash plant in Corby and LDPE film wash plant and film processing, recycling and extrusion plant in Loughborough.

Edited by Radhika Sikaria

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