A LEADING provider of fully recyclable paper cups and lids, has opened new manufacturing facilities in Wrexham.

The seven-figure investment by Green Rock Group will help meet the demand for fully sustainable, UK manufactured paper cups as well as allow the business to extend its product range to include all food to go paper packaging products.

The new facilities,on the Whitegate Industrial Estate, are to be officially opened by Wrexham MS Lesley Griffiths, who is also the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales and Trefnydd, in the Welsh Government.

The opening means the company will have six manufacturing facilities based in Wrexham spanning more than 100,000 sq ft. The company has already created 50 jobs in the past three months and has plans to grow the number of employees to more than 100 by the end of the year.

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The company's innovative paper cups are manufactured using aqueous coated materials, eliminating the need for polyethylene (PE) or polylactic acid (PLA) linings, which means the products can be composted or recycled. Being manufactured in the UK also means they have a lower carbon footprint compared to cups manufactured overseas.

The significant investment in its Wrexham facilities allows the business to meet the demand for its products as well as increase the company's capacity and capabilities. The site will grow from 70 machines dedicated to the manufacture of paper cups and two dedicated to paper lids, to more than 84 high speed machines in total.

Steve Granville, managing director of Green Rock Group, said: "The exponential growth and demand for our sustainable paper products has allowed us to make further significant investments in our Wrexham facilities.

"This is a significant milestone for the business and allows us to meet the strong demand there is for our UK made products. We're excited about the year ahead as we look to building on this growth and lead the sector in terms of innovation, capability and growth."

Lesley Griffiths MS, added: "This investment in the company's manufacturing capacity and capabilities is a testament to the businesses' success, as well as the people and city of Wrexham that help make Green Rock Group the success it is today."

The new facilities will expand the manufacturing capacity to produce paper cups for hot and cold drinks as well as paper lids. The new facilities will also allow the business to produce all food to go paper packaging products including bags, napkins and food trays. The company also has a manufacturing capability for paper straws.

From October 2022 the company launch their new espresso cup and also their range of vending cups.

Green Rock work with strategic partners across the whole supply chain, Just Peel who manage sales, Mcarthy Distribution on Logistics, Herbert Walker and the Graphics factory on Print and Design, and Denmaur/Delipac on supply.

By not using traditional PE or PLA linings, the company's products are easily recyclable and compostable. The Delipac paperboard follows years of innovative ground-breaking research and development. The product is specifically designed for use in food and drink packaging where full sustainability is required. The fully compliant products can be used from freezer to oven and are EU and FCA approved for direct food and drink contact.

The Green Rock Group's products are fully recyclable in any paper waste stream, compostable, and fully biodegradable. The products are Flustix certified as plastic free and are legally compliant with the EU single use plastic regulation.