Plastics firm invests in recycling machinery

A SPECIALIST Lancashire plastics recycling company has invested £2m in  new kit to help double production at its reprocessing facility.

Preston Plastics has has installed a new Intarema plastic recycling and extrusion machine at its operation near Garstang.

The Austrian-made machine is the biggest of its kind in the world and Preston Plastics is thought to be the first British company to buy it.

The £1.3m piece of kit is part of a total £2m investment in plant and machinery at the firm’s premises at Out Rawcliffe. It will allow Preston Plastics to recycle new materials, such as heavily printed packaging waste, as well as improving quality, efficiency and overall consistency.

The investment also includes a new industrial shredder, two fountain blenders and special IsoCool chillers that recirculate and cool the water used in the recycling process.

Edgar Wallace, managing director of Preston Plastics, said: “This new machine gives us nearly three times the capacity we had previously. It means we can continue to meet the increased demand we are seeing from the plastics industry, both in terms of volume and the types of plastic being recycled, diverting thousands of tonnes of waste from landfill and incineration.

“Constantly investing in new technology ensures we remain at the cutting edge of the plastics recycling industry. These are exciting times for the business as we plan for the future.”

Preston Plastics’ recycling plant operates around the clock and processes waste plastics from sectors including packaging, medical, building and construction, and automotive.

The waste is converted into quality reprocessed plastic compound which is sold back to the plastics industry to be used in the manufacture of products such as plastic storage boxes, paint trays, car bumpers and pallets. 60% of everything made is exported to Europe.