Jayplas invests further in closed-loop UK plastic recycling ahead of bag tax

UK plastics recycler, Jayplas, has announced plans for a £2.5 million investment in new extrusion, print and conversion equipment for its packaging division, which will be installed in January 2016.

This, says the company, will enable it to increase production capacity by upwards of 7,500 tonnes per annum as part of an initiative to allow retailers to provide printed bags-for-life from their own plastic waste.

Jayplas says with the imminent arrival of the single-use bag tax, this will allow retailers to demonstrate their sustainability credentials to customers, as well as contributing to the UK’s circular economy.

“Sustainable plastics recycling is a big issue and recycling their own plastic waste helps our customers provide the sustainability credentials their consumers are demanding”, explained Michael Maxwell, Operations Director at Jayplas.

“Our new investment is a direct response to the retail industry's need for larger levels of sustainability within their own supply chain and it shows that Jayplas continues to lead the development of the UK's recycling infrastructure to meet the high demand for quality recycled plastics and packaging."

This is the second major investment by Jayplas in the last eighteen months, following the creation of its new packaging division, which saw a multi-million pound investment in a new extrusion and printing plant in Worksop. The company says it now needs to increase production capacity to meet a rise in demand from current customers and growing opportunities for new business.