Biffa acquires Keenan Recycling in preparation for new food waste regulations

UK – Biffa, a UK-based waste management company, recently acquired Keenan Recycling to enhance its food waste processing capabilities in preparation for new mandatory food waste collection regulations.

For an undisclosed amount, the acquisition includes 21 depots and Keenan’s headquarters in Aberdeen, where it operates a composting and biofuel facility.

As part of the deal, around 140 Keenan employees will transition to Biffa, reinforcing Biffa’s expanding workforce and operational reach.

The acquisition comes as England prepares to enforce mandatory food waste collection for businesses starting in March 2025.

Local authorities will also be required to introduce these services to households by March 2026, and micro-businesses will follow suit by March 2027.

By integrating Keenan’s expertise and network into its broader infrastructure, Biffa aims to streamline compliance with these regulations and strengthen its leadership in the recycling sector.

Maxine Mayhew, Biffa’s Chief Operating Officer for Collections and Specialist Services, noted Keenan’s strong reputation in food waste management and expressed optimism about the potential for growth as Keenan’s services integrate with Biffa’s infrastructure.

Grant Keenan, Managing Director of Keenan Recycling, highlighted the company’s growth over the past 20 years, attributing much of this success to the support from BGF (Business Growth Fund), which invested £3.5 million in Keenan in 2015, enabling the company to expand nationwide.

This sale marks a profitable exit for BGF, yielding a 2.4x return on investment.

Biffa’s acquisition of Keenan is part of a broader expansion strategy, including recent purchases of UK assets from Renewi and commercial waste specialist L&S Waste Management.

This growth strategy aligns with Biffa CEO Michael Topham’s vision of maximizing route density for efficient operations.

Thus, it enhances reliability and reduces the carbon footprint of Biffa’s extensive fleet of waste collection vehicles.

With the upcoming regulations and the increased demand for food waste management, this acquisition positions Biffa to be at the forefront of sustainable waste solutions, reinforcing its capacity to meet evolving environmental standards and market demands across the UK.

Wales outpaces UK in recycling efforts

In a related news, Wales continues to lead the UK in household recycling rates, reaching an impressive 66.6% in 2023-24, up from 65.7% the previous year, according to the Welsh Government’s latest data.

These figures highlight Wales’s commitment to recycling and place it just behind Austria on Eunomia’s global recycling league table.

Cardiff recorded a lower recycling rate of 60.1%, while Bridgend achieved the highest rate at 72.8%.

The Welsh government’s ambitious targets have spurred most local authorities, with 18 of 22 councils meeting the statutory 64% recycling target for 2023-24.

Six councils, including Bridgend and Pembrokeshire, have already surpassed the upcoming 2024-25 goal of 70%. This progress makes Wales the only UK nation with household recycling rates above 50%.

In addition to high recycling rates, Wales has nearly eliminated landfill use, reducing waste sent to landfill from 42% in 2012-13 to just 0.9% in 2023-24.

However, waste directed to energy recovery facilities has grown from 4.7% in 2012-13 to 31.3% in 2023-24, reflecting a shift toward waste-to-energy methods.

Organic materials, including food and garden waste, comprised a third of all recycled or composted material, while plastics and metals made up only 6.9%.

The Welsh Government’s waste management strategy, ‘Beyond Recycling (2021)’, has set ambitious statutory recycling targets.

Their tracking relies on the WasteDataFlow system, managed by Natural Resources Wales. By mandating segregated waste collection, Wales has kept commingled materials to just 17.4% of collected waste, enabling more efficient processing.

In contrast, Defra data shows that household recycling rates in England have been declining, from 44.3% in 2015 to 43.4% in 2022.

Labour’s circular economy minister, Mary Creagh, called this trend “deeply disappointing.” With Wales at the forefront, the nation’s progress underscores a strong commitment to sustainability, setting an example in the UK and beyond for reducing waste and advancing toward a circular economy.

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