Veolia exits plastics recycling in Germany

Veolia is closing two plastics recycling plants in Germany, marking the end of its plastics recycling activity in the German market.

More than 120 workers at the company’s Multiport and Multipet facilities in Bernburg, Saxony-Anhalt, have been told their employment will cease at the end of the year. The closures are attributed to economic pressures and a challenging market environment for plastic recyclers in Germany. 

Market gloom

Confirming the reports, a company spokesman said: ‘The decision is a consequence of the continuing difficult market conditions in plastic recycling. Veolia will make every effort to support the 122 employees affected by this closure.’

The decision follows the closure of its Rostock PET recycling plant at the end of 2023.

Even so, Veolia is expanding its recycling activities elsewhere in Europe. Earlier this month, it announced the UK’s first PET tray-to-tray facility, Veolia’s biggest plastics recycling project in the UK, which will be operational by early 2026.