Oct 02, 2014. /Lesprom Network/. DS Smith acquired the Recycling Division of Middleton Paper for an undisclosed sum, as the company said in the press release received by Lesprom Network.

The Recycling Division (of Middleton Paper) currently generates circa 9,000 tonnes a year of fibre, and deals with a wide range of paper and cardboard grades. The Division was part of Middleton Paper which remains an independent merchant and converter based in Walsall, West Midlands. It has been established for 38 years and is part of the Middleton Group.

Peter McGuinness, Chief Executive of DS Smith, Recycling Division said: “The Birmingham region is a key industrial and commercial area and the purchase of Middleton Recycling will allow us to target material and grow our presence here. It is a strategic fit for growing our business and extends our coverage in the area.”

As the largest fibre recycler in Europe, DS Smith recovers circa 5.4 million tonnes of paper and packaging annually for recycling. Recovered packaging (and other fibre grades) provide the raw materials used in production by the Group’s paper making operations.

DS Smith is the largest integrated paper and packaging company in the UK and the second largest packaging company in Europe. The Recycling Division provides the collection infrastructure to recover packaging and supplies it to the Packaging Division for further use.