Tetra Pak has funded an upgrade to food and beverage carton sorting capabilities at J&B Recycling’s materials recycling facility (MRF) in Hartlepool, as part of a collaboration with British technology start-up Recycleye.
The upgrade includes the installation of two robotic arms dedicated to identifying and sorting cartons, enhancing the facility’s ability to process these materials for recycling.
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J&B Recycling, part of FCC Environment, handles waste management for several local authorities including Newcastle City Council, Sunderland City Council, North Tyneside Council, Hartlepool Council, and Hull City Council.
The Hartlepool facility is one of three UK MRFs set to benefit from similar upgrades in 2025. Tetra Pak’s total investment in the UK’s carton sorting infrastructure this year stands at £1.4 million. The remaining two sites will be named later in the year.
The investment is part of Tetra Pak’s broader strategy to support the recycling of food and beverage cartons through partnerships with local authorities and policymakers.
Globally, the company has committed more than £34m annually to improve collection, sorting, and recycling systems. In the UK, this includes £2.4m from Tetra Pak specifically for sorting infrastructure, alongside £24 million from the Alliance for Beverage Cartons and the Environment (ACE UK), supporting upgrades to facilities and collection schemes such as bring banks.
These efforts come in advance of the UK Government’s forthcoming Simpler Recycling policy, set to take effect for households in March 2026. Under the new regulations, all residents in England will be able to recycle food and beverage cartons through kerbside collection.
Separate recycling requirements for businesses were introduced earlier this year.
The policy is expected to significantly increase the volume of cartons collected at the kerbside, placing greater demand on sorting infrastructure like that being installed in Hartlepool.
Achievements and innovations in retail and e-commerce, healthcare and pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, automotive, transport & logistics, and more will be celebrated at the Robotics & Automation Awards on 29 October 2025 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Visit www.roboticsandautomationawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s robotics and automation sectors!
