Bright Green Plastics operates from a site in Castleford, West Yorkshire, which currently recycles around 40,000 tonnes of plastic waste each year and has a 130-strong workforce.
IPL Global says it plans to invest in equipment and projects to increase the recycling capacity and capabilities of the business, which will ensure the continued supply of high-quality recycled compounds to customers across many sectors.
In the UK, IPL Global operates facilities in Rotherham, Hull, Tamworth, and Wolverhampton. Its other subsidiaries include One51, MGB Plastics, and Straight.
‘Shared values’
Ian Farquhar, UK managing director at IPL Global, said: “We are delighted to have Bright Green Plastics as part of our network of businesses.
“Our shared values, coupled with impressive breakthroughs in the development of recycled polymer formulas for a wide variety of applications, meaning that together we can offer sustainable solutions the market is looking for.
“It’s this passion and commitment to innovation that first attracted us to the company, and we’re excited to see the value that Bright Green Plastics is set to bring to our business as we, in turn, contribute to its ongoing growth and success in the worldwide marketplace.”
IPL Global completed the acquisition on 8 December.
Castleford
Following the acquisition, the Castleford site will continue to operate under the existing management team, which includes general manager Steve Spencer, who joined the business in 2019.
Mr Spencer said: “Anyone that comes across our business knows we are passionate about plastic recycling.
“This acquisition will provide the global assistance to accelerate significant technical developments, ensuring as much recycled plastic as possible is ploughed back into the manufacturing cycle, whilst lessening reliance on virgin plastic.”
A spokesperson for Bright Green Plastics told letsrecycle.com that employees’ jobs were safe and it was “business as usual”.
The company began life in 1992 as a packaging company called Linpac Plastics Recycling, a subsidiary of the LINPAC Group, until it was bought by AIAC and rebranded as Bright Green Plastics in 2020.
This summer, the company won Plastics Recycling Business of the Year at the letsrecycle.com Awards for Excellence (see letsrecycle.com story).
Its Castleford plant specialises in recycling polypropylene (PP) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) from sources such as household waste and commercial products.
In June, Bright Green Plastics announced it had invested a “significant seven figure sum” in upgrading its facility, including by investing in new wash plant and upgrading its extruding machinery (see letsrecycle.com story).
IPL Global
Founded in 1939 as a small manufacturer of household items, IPL Global now works with local authorities, waste contractors, and businesses to supply them with British-made products including wheeled bins, caddies, and kerbside boxes.
Chicago-based private equity investment firm Madison Dearborn Partners acquired IPL Global in October 2020.
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