A PLASTIC waste recycling firm has revealed plans to build a £20m facility near Ellesmere Port which would create 50 permanent jobs.

Enviroo is proposing to construct a plant at the 54-hectare Protos site – Peel L&P Environmental’s strategic energy and resource hub – in Grinsome Road, Ince.

The facility would recycle some of the 4.9 million tonnes of plastic waste created in the UK.

The company specialises in recycling 100% of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) – the main material used for food and drinks packaging such as plastic bottles – and converting it into the raw material for new food-grade packaging, without any waste.

Enviroo says the facility will see an investment of around £20 million into the local economy and create 50 new, permanent jobs.

The facility is the next plot proposed for the Plastic Park at Protos, following consent of a plastic to hydrogen facility earlier this year.

A public consultation over the plans has been launched by Enviroo prior to a planning application being submitted and will run until October 29.

Ahmed Detta, CEO & founder of Enviroo, said: "The UK produces over 13 billion plastic bottles a year but currently only recycles around 50% of them.

"This facility will take these bottles and create a new material that can be used to create new food grade packaging products, reducing the need for virgin plastic and diverting waste from landfill.

Chester and District Standard:

The proposed Enviroo recycling facility.

"In the future, we are also planning to introduce a Deposit Return Scheme in nearby locations such as shopping centres and universities, where people can return their empty plastic bottles and possibly other products and receive cash rewards which they can spend as they please or donate a to charitable cause that is close to their hearts.

"We are really keen to hear from the local community about our plans for this recycling facility. Enviroo wants to make sure people know what we are proposing and can share their feedback.

"While we would normally do this in person, due to Covid-19 restrictions we are having a virtual consultation instead. We have made sure there are many different ways to get in touch so we can answer any questions people have."

Jayne Hennessy, development manager at Peel L&P Environmental, said: "This is an important next step in the development of our Plastic Park concept at Protos, following planning permission being granted for the plastic to hydrogen facility earlier this year.

"The Plastic Park will be a UK first and offer a one stop shop for plastic waste. We will be revealing more details of what else is planned for the Plastic Park soon."

Enviroo will use technology partners Erema and Sorema Technologies to sort and wash the waste, to create flakes which will then form r-PET (recycled -PET) pellets that can be used by packaging manufacturers to create new products.

This technology is able to re-use 100% of the PET it takes in.

The Plastic Park at Protos will cluster together plastic recycling and recovery technologies to create value from plastic waste, helping to avoid it ending up in landfill, exported overseas or in our oceans.

From April 2022, new law will see any packaging that contains less than 30% recycled PET taxed. Some manufacturers have gone further, pledging to include up to 50% recycled material in their packaging under the UK Plastics Pact.

  • Details of the consultation are available on enviroo.co.uk/consultation . Newsletters have been sent to more than 9,000 homes and businesses in the area. A newsletter can also be requested by calling 0800 689 1095, or emailing consultation@enviroo.co.uk.