AMCOR has celebrated the completion of major upgrades to its recycling facility in Heanor, Derbyshire, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony led by local MP Linsey Farnsworth.
The site processes a range of post-consumer and industrial flexible plastic waste. Recent investments are said to have improved the consistency and quality of recycled output, enabling an additional 2,800 tonnes of recyclate to be used in flexible packaging applications.
“Recycling flexible plastics at scale is essential for achieving circularity and ensuring supply chain resilience,” said Gerald Rebitzer, VP sustainability operations & advocacy at Amcor. “As the UK prepares for mandatory kerbside collection of flexible packaging in 2027, it’s vital that we continue to strengthen our recycling infrastructure to meet demand.”
The Heanor facility operates an integrated recycling process — including sorting, grinding, washing, separation and reprocessing — that converts plastic waste into post-consumer recycled (PCR) polymers that are used in Amcor’s flexible packaging for applications such as non-contact sensitive industrial packaging, collation shrink films, and stretch films for pallet protection and stabilisation.
Amcor explained that onsite quality testing delivers consistency, while third-party RecyClass certification helps ensure traceability and compliance. The site also has water treatment systems that allow for water recirculation within the recycling process, helping to reduce overall water use. It is certified Zero Waste to Landfill by Valpak.
