Biffa enhances waste services in Scotland with HWR acquisition

By Giles Gwinnett

6 December 2023

Share

The Business Magazine article image for: Biffa enhances waste services in Scotland with HWR acquisition

High Wycombe-based Biffa has made a significant acquisition, buying the family-owned Hamilton Waste and Recycling Limited (HWR) - Scotland’s leading construction and demolition (C&D) waste collection and processing business. 

Biffa will welcome the 100 strong team at HWR into its collections business, along with 49 vehicles and 1,400 new customers.

"Biffa is the largest collector of waste and recycling in the UK and the addition of HWR’s award-winning capability in the construction and demolition sector will further strengthen our services in this important market," said Maxine Mayhew, chief operating officer.

"HWR’s sustainability credentials are impressive, and we look forward to working together to leverage Biffa’s unique position at the heart of the circular economy, enabling more customers to meet their carbon reduction commitments."

HWR processes 135,000 tonnes of material annually. This includes wood and plasterboard and it diverts and recycles over 65,000 mattresses away from landfill every year.

In 2021, HWR became Scotland’s first waste management company to achieve 100% carbon-neutral status. 

It diverts over 95% of incoming waste from landfill and has invested over £10 million at its state-of-the-art multi award-winning recycling centre near Edinburgh.

Biffa already operates C&D processing facilities in Newcastle, Birmingham and Cardiff and the addition of HWR will enhance its services for customers across central Scotland, while enabling it to replicate HWR’s C&D processing knowledge across the UK.

Robin Stevenson, managing director of Hamilton Waste, added: "We are delighted to have completed the sale of the business and I look forward to working with Biffa as HWR starts this exciting new chapter.

"Our customers will continue to be serviced under the HWR brand, by the same team who are committed to providing the most sustainable service possible, while also being able to draw on Biffa’s extensive pool of resources and expertise."

Visit Hampshire Biz News for bright, upbeat and positive business news from the county

By Giles Gwinnett

Giles Gwinnett is a writer at The Business Magazine. He has been a journalist for more than 20 years and covered a vast array of topics at a range of media settings - in print and online. After his NCTJ newspaper training, he became a reporter in Hampshire before moving to a news agency in Gloucestershire. In recent years, he has been covering the financial markets along with company news for an investor-focused web portal. His many interests include politics, energy and the environment. He lives in Dorset.