Abbey Begins Recycled Polymer Logistics Contract With Viridor PLC

Abbey Logistics has been awarded a recycled polymer logistics and materials handling contract by Viridor, the UK’s biggest recycling company.

Working in partnership with more than 150 local authorities and major corporate clients across the UK, Viridor has the UK’s largest network of 300+ advanced recycling, energy recovery and landfill diversion facilities. These sites specialise in supporting manufacturers to reduce their reliance on virgin plastic and are some of the most sophisticated plastic recycling and reprocessing plants in the country.

Abbey Logistics is partnering with Viridor through the logistics company’s bag to bulk facility on the Wirral, where Abbey takes delivery and provides storage of recycled plastic flakes in one-tonne bags. The flakes are then decanted into bag in box shipping containers for onward distribution to Viridor’s customers throughout the UK and Europe.

Abbey is handling recycled polymers from Viridor’s Polymer Reprocessing Facility in Skelmersdale, Lancashire, which processes plastic bottles, segregating and processing the material further to produce deodorised HDPE compounds and Clear PET flakes.

The high quality of these recycled polymer grades can be directly substituted for virgin material in the manufacturing of many new plastic products and packaging. This significantly reduces waste to landfill and the environmental impact of waste processing and manufacturing from virgin plastic.

Mike Ellis, Abbey Logistics’ Business Development Director said:

“Since opening in 2018, our bag to bulk facility has attracted customers from across the polymers sector thanks to being close to Liverpool Port, our storage space, and our UK wide bulk tanker transport network. Customers are using us as a one-stop-shop for reformatting and transport to reduce costs and complexity in their supply chains.

“We are delighted Viridor has chosen to partner with Abbey Logistics on this important contract and we look forward to supporting them and their customers throughout the country.

“Reformatting from big bags to bulk containers has a significant impact on reducing road miles and provides Viridor’s customers with economies of scale and the ability to receive larger quantities of feedstock that enters their manufacturing process quicker and more efficiently.

“Used plastic is still a valuable resource. Viridor’s focus on recycling this material to use again in the manufacture of new plastic items keeps this resource in the economy and delivers environmental benefits by diverting products away from landfill and reducing the use of virgin plastics.”