Biffa acquisition expands food waste offering
Biffa, the UK leader in sustainable waste management, has today completed its acquisition of Keenan Recycling, a commercial food waste collections provider operating across England, Scotland and Wales.
Keenan Recycling was established in 2003 and provides food waste collection services for businesses, waste management companies and councils, as well as operating a composting and biofuel facility in Aberdeen.
The acquisition improves the Group’s capabilities in food waste collection services ahead of the implementation of the forthcoming Simpler Recycling legislation. The legislation mandates the separation of dry recyclables into designated containers as well as the separate collection of food waste. Simpler Recycling will take effect for most businesses across England from March 2025, households from March 2026 and micro businesses from March 2027.
The acquisition marks the latest step forward in Biffa’s ongoing commitment to enabling the circular economy, helping businesses and consumers reduce waste while supporting the UK’s journey to Net Zero. Recent acquisitions, including L&S Waste Management, Hazrem Environmental Ltd and Renewi’s UK municipal business, have further enhanced Biffa’s capabilities to improve the sustainable management of construction, hazardous, and household waste. Keenan Recycling will complement Biffa’s end-to-end food waste solution which spans surplus redistribution through to the collection and recycling of food waste through Anaerobic Digestion, a sustainable process that generates liquid fertiliser and biogas.
Maxine Mayhew, Chief Operating Officer, Biffa Collections and Specialist Services, said: “Keenan Recycling has built an outstanding reputation as a leader in commercial food waste collections, and we’re delighted to be welcoming the expertise of 140 colleagues into the Biffa family.
“By integrating Keenan Recycling’s offering with our wider infrastructure and resources, we see tremendous potential to enhance our ability to meet the requirements of Simpler Recycling legislation mandating separate food waste collection.”
Grant Keenan, Managing Director at Keenan Recycling, said: “We’re extremely proud of the remarkable growth we’ve achieved over the past 20 years, evolving from a small, independent operation into one of the UK’s leading organics recycling and food waste collections businesses. We’d like to thank BGF who backed us to grow the business and have supported us with both investment and advice over the last 9 years.
"Keenan Recycling is now perfectly positioned for even greater expansion, especially with the upcoming mandatory food waste collections in Wales and England. Biffa brings a wealth of expertise, infrastructure and resources for accelerated growth and we are confident this acquisition will take our business - and the UK's food waste recycling efforts - to the next level, helping to further reduce environmental impact and contribute to a more sustainable future.”
