Corby mega-recycle facility vows to reduce cost of UK plastic waste exports
30 Mar 2026
Corby will host a £20 million plastic recycling facility opening later this year, that will be one of the largest of its kind in the UK.
Operated by circular economy specialist Reconomy’s Eurokey brand, the premises will cover 138,000 sq. ft.
When fully operational, the site will be capable of recycling 38,000 tonnes of plastic material yearly and create more than 30 new jobs.
Its location will place it within 10 miles of Eurokey’s Kettering sorting facility, from where it will receive materials.
This will provide an opportunity to keep carbon footprint and transportation costs lower, together with less reliance on virgin plastics use, said the company.
Recycle loop MD for Reconomy, Mike Benton, said: “This is an exceptional milestone for our business and for the UK’s plastics recycling industry. This facility will play a major role in increasing domestic recycling capacity and reducing reliance on virgin plastic by keeping high-quality material in circulation. It will also benefit the local economy.
“This investment marks another major step in our rapid growth journey as we continue to invest in our world-class infrastructure, data-driven solutions and technology to help businesses minimise waste, conserve resources, lower costs and carbon emissions. We look forward to working with all our stakeholders.”
Britain remains overly reliant on exporting waste plastic material because of a lack of sizeable domestic infrastructure and assets able to cope with demand scale.
Government data suggests barely more than half (51%) of plastic packaging is recycled within the country.
Reconomy boasts several large supermarket clients and the retail sector remains a major contributor to plastic waste
Introduction of a UK-based, closed-loop solution would enabled clients to meet sustainability goals and enable a more circular economy, explained Zubair Bajwa, Eurokey operations director.
He said: “We are very proud to play a leading role in strengthening the UK’s plastic recycling industry at this critical time.
“For over 30 years, our business has helped leading UK supermarkets and retailers maximise the recycling potential of their plastic material, and this new site will allow us to go even further in delivering circular solutions for our customers.”
Pic: Magda Ehlers
