Coca-Cola deal to create 30 new jobs

Coca-Cola Enterprises Ltd and ECO Plastics have also revealed the name of their pioneering joint venture.

ECO Plastics, Europe’s largest and leading plastic bottle recycler, re-opened in November last year after it was ravaged by fire in August 2009.

The firm then went on to enter a partnership with Coca-Cola in March to develop a new £15 million purpose-built recycling facility at the Hemswell site.

Since the announcement that ECO Plastics had received planning permission for a £15 million expansion in May, work has advanced rapidly and ground works, foundations and a new road have all already been completed. Now, a first for the UK recycling and beverage industries, the new business will be known as Continuum Recycling Limited.

ECO Plastics Managing Director Jonathan Short said: “This news is important because it demonstrates our commitment and progress towards realising what will be a revolutionary project for the British recycling industry.”

“I’m delighted that we are on track to deliver against the ambitious project timetable.”

“ECO Plastics’ plant is already the largest and most sophisticated in Europe and having put the finishing touches to a £24 million financing packaging in the last month, we will now be able to increase capacity from 100,000 tonnes to 140,000 tonnes of mixed plastic bottles per year, just under 50 per cent of the total collected last year.

He continued: “I’m also very pleased to be able to announce that we have actively begun looking to hire people to work in the new facility. Not only are these skilled jobs, they’re skilled jobs in a rural area, where employment has been on the decline for some time.”

Commercial Recycling Manager at Coca-Cola Nick Brown said: “We are really pleased to see the start of recruitment for the skilled roles which will make this new business a great success.”

“Continuum Recycling is also a great name for the business - it explains how effective recycling will lead to a continuous process of use, recycling and reuse for plastic bottles.”

The thirty jobs created will include extrusion, process and quality control posts.

Interested applicants can contact the business directly either by calling 01427 668635 or by e-mailing [email protected].