18 Jan. 2023: A £30m wastepaper recycling plant is taking shape in Northumberland after major employer Essity was granted permission for the scheme.
Cushelle toilet roll maker Essity, at Prudhoe Mill, has been keen to cut its dependence on virgin wood fibre, which it uses to make its products, including tissues, sanitary products and nappies, following a dramatic drop in waste paper supplies. The company submitted plans for a plant that will become one of the UK’s most advanced wastepaper recycling plants, replacing its existing 50-year-old facility.
Now building work has started on the scheme after Northumberland County Council gave the scheme planning permission, paving the way for the Swedish tissue giant’s single biggest investment across any of its six UK sites in the last 10 years of more than £30m. The new facility will house the latest in paper-recycling technology, reducing energy costs and increasing its ability to make household products from recycled fibre.
Supermarkets and green consumers have long-demanded the use of recycled paper in toilet rolls and paper towels, with most recycled pulp traditionally being made from office wastepaper. But supplies dipped significantly as companies moved away from printers and photocopiers in favour of email, in a trend which was accelerated by more people working from home post-Covid.
The new state-of-the-art plant will enable Essity to recycle alternative sources of more widely available, lower-grade waste material. The work will see the total demolition of the existing unifibres complex.
Four replacement buildings will be constructed towards the centre of the site that are less visible from the main road, with completion by late 2025. The work will be carried out by Gateshead-based Robertson Construction North East.
Programme manager Paul Oliver said: "The significance of this investment cannot be over-stated. It will enable us to recycle lower-grade paper and board, enhance our ability to segregate plastic and metal contaminants, reduce waste sent to landfill and improve energy efficiency.
"Our old Unifibres facility was at the end of its working life and this scale of investment helps secure the future of the mill, helps us to continue meeting demand for our products such as Cushelle, Velvet and Tork and, importantly, provides a more attractive and safer working environment for employees.”
The scheme won the support of Prudhoe Town Council as well as local MP Guy Opperman, and it was backed by Northumberland County Councillor for Prudhoe South Gordon Stewart.
He said: "Across the UK, manufacturers are facing so many challenges at the moment and seeing a major global company like Essity make this kind of commitment to sustainable manufacturing in Northumberland is great news. It will secure long-term jobs and apprenticeships and sends out a strong message about just how innovative, aspirational and caring of the environment our local businesses can be."
Coreena Ford, Chronicle and Journal business writer