Bottles spared landfill fate

The Haden Freeman Group (HFL), the Manchester-based engineering company, has been appointed to construct the UK’s first ever recycling plant to turn plastic bottles into food packaging. The project will be run by Haden Freeman Group company, Birwelco, a specialist in recycling technology.

The plant, located in Dagenham, will be operated by Closed Loop London and will turn water, soft drinks and cosmetics bottles into new food packaging.

Opening in December 2007, it will ensure that 35,000 tonnes of packaging which might otherwise be sent to landfill, is converted into packaging material.

The £12m project will be funded by private partners including Foresight Venture Partners and Allied Irish Bank. It will also receive public sector funding from the London Development Agency and WRAP (Waste & Resources Acton Programme).