Hundreds of jobs are set to be generated through proposals to construct the º£½ÇÊÓƵ's first major plastic film recycling plant in Darlington. Endolys Ltd has committed to investing as much as £120m in the area following its acquisition of the former Cleveland Bridge premises.
The chemical recycling business will generate up to 120 positions through the deployment of pyrolysis oil production units at the Yarm Road site – a 29-acre industrial location that has lain unused since 2021. Political figures have welcomed the development for positioning the region at the "forefront of innovation in recycling and clean growth".
Endolys revealed that £60m has been secured for the initial stage of the project, which will involve six units converting 60,000 tonnes of shredded plastic film waste into 40,000 tonnes of pyrolysis oil annually. The subsequent stage, requiring a comparable sum, would involve processing an additional 60,000 tonnes of film waste into another 40,000 tonnes of oil.
The entirety of the film waste will be obtained from municipal waste facilities. Pending planning and environmental permissions, the first phase of operations is anticipated to commence at the end of 2026.
Michael Fox, CEO of Endolys, said: "This is an exciting project that will not only create high quality jobs in the growing recycling industry, but will also provide a major boost the circular economy by diverting plastic waste including many single use items such as cups, straws and plastic bags away from incineration and landfill, converting them back into a useful product.
"The former Cleveland Bridge site is ideal for what we need, with an excellent building in which we can house our operations, superb road and rail links and existing grid and natural gas connections. Even more importantly, we have people in this area with the engineering and technical processing skills to meet our requirements."
Pyrolysis involves a thermal decomposition technique capable of chemically transforming plastic back into its base oil and gas components. Plastic film represents one of Britain's most difficult plastic materials to process, with no current large-scale recycling facilities in operation and restricted kerbside collection, according to Endolys.
Coun Chris McEwan, Darlington Borough Council's cabinet member for Economy, commended the company's proposals to regenerate the location. He said: "This is a significant step forward for Darlington – economically, environmentally and socially. It marks a proud moment in the town's journey toward a cleaner, greener future."
The council confirmed that construction of additional structures at the location will be subject to the usual planning procedures. Endolys has also struck a commercial deal with a global oil distribution and trading firm to take the entire output from the plant, which will be exported into the European petrochemical market via storage at the Navigator Terminals facility at Seal Sands.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen added: "This landmark investment by Endolys is fantastic news for Darlington and will breathe new life into the iconic former Cleveland Bridge site. As well as creating scores of well-paid, good-quality, skilled jobs, it will also put our region at the forefront of innovation in recycling and clean growth.
"This is exactly the type of project that demonstrates how Teesside, Darlington and Hartlepool are leading the way in attracting cutting-edge industries, securing major long-term investment and building a stronger economy for local people."
Matt Vickers, MP for Stockton West, which includes the Endolys site, stated: "This is fantastic news for Teesside. It means more jobs and opportunities for local people, the arrival of world-leading technology in our region, and the regeneration of the former Cleveland Bridge site."
