Cromwell Polythene expands UK manufacturing & recycling division

1 min read

Cromwell Polythene’s manufacturing and recycling division, Cromwell Plastics Recycling, has extended the group’s capacity to recover and reprocess waste polythene, following investment in new machinery and the expansion of its existing Polythene Recovery Service.

These developments strengthen Cromwell’s focus on helping businesses to capture and contain valuable resources, and stimulate the circular economy. The Cromwell Plastics Recycling site specialises in recycling; film extrusion; and the manufacturing of polythene, film, bags, and sacks from both recycled and prime virgin polythene.

This growth in the family-run company’s recycling capacity follows expansion of Cromwell’s Polythene Recovery Service. This facilitates the collection of used polythene from customers and ensures resources are kept within the UK, in line with The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) guidelines for the recycling of plastic packaging. Recovered material is recycled at the Cromwell Plastics Recycling site, based in Derbyshire and extruded into more film, increasing the recycled content of the factory’s output.

The site manufactures low-density (LDPE), linear low-density (LLDPE), and medium density (MDPE) polyethylene, and compostable films. The films are used for food delivery and industrial packaging, and waste management applications. Bags, sacks and liners are produced for a range of businesses in the away from home market, including industrial, hospitality and leisure, local authority, and healthcare.

Cromwell Plastics Recycling can produce 100% recycled films, including material certified by the EUCertPlast auditing scheme. This recognises the highest standards of material traceability, quality, and process control in plastics recycling.

Products manufactured at the site include Cromwell’s Sansafe® range of antimicrobial and scented liners, produced with 30% UK-recycled PE film. Watch a video of the liners being produced on Cromwell’s Roll-o-Matic bag making machine at the recycling and extrusion facility:

James Lee, managing director of Yorkshire based Cromwell Polythene, said: “We’re proud to have strengthened our UK recycling and manufacturing operations to help businesses improve their resource-efficiency and help grow the circular economy.”