Vanden Recycling to Close Whittlesey Plastics Processing Facility

Vanden Recycling has announced plans to close its Whittlesey plastics processing facility in Peterborough by late October 2025.

The site specialises in post-industrial plastics such as PET, PP, and HDPE – materials that previously flowed through the plant before moving into its broader circular economy operations. According to Managing Director Kevin Thompson, the decision was made after “careful consideration” and the site was deemed too small to align with Vanden’s long-term growth strategy. Resources will instead be redirected to the company’s core global trading operations.

The closure comes amid mounting economic challenges for rigid plastics recycling. Vanden cited soaring energy, transport, and labour costs, combined with weak end-market values, as key struggles. These pressures are exacerbated, they say, by a regulatory environment that lacks sufficient incentives for recycled material, making the business case tougher to sustain.

This move follows a disturbing trend across the UK and Europe. In recent months, Viridor has closed its Rochester and Avonmouth plants, Biffa has confirmed the closure of its Sunderland facility, which previously handled 39,000 tonnes of HDPE and PP annually, and in June, Wellman International confirmed it had entered examinership following sustained losses driven by rising operational costs and intense global price competition.

RECOUP has raised concerns regarding plastic imports and their negative impact on UK recyclers and infrastructure. We are active in a number of areas, including providing clarity and evidence of inaccurate and fraudulent claims of recycled content; PRN reform; and exploring interventions that can change the current situation. We will be sharing more work surrounding this crucial topic very soon.

To read the LetsRecycle article on the announcement, click here.