IW Capital makes additional investment in Impact Recycling

London-based investment firm IW Capital has made a further investment into its portfolio company, Impact Recycling, which has developed a plastic recycling technology known as a “Baffled Oscillation Separation System,” or BOSS. IW Capital led an investment round that totaled 6 million pounds sterling ($7.7 million).

Headquartered in Glasgow, Scotland, Impact Recycling will use the follow-on investment to expand its existing facilities and to scale its operations globally.

“This follow-on investment is a testament to the confidence of investors and the brilliantly supportive team at IW Capital who understand the mission and the vision of Impact Recycling,” Impact co-founder David Walsh says. “This is a moment of great opportunity for the company as we look to expand our recycling facilities and increase our operational capacity. Circular economies are becoming increasingly important, and we are very excited about what the future holds.”

Impact's BOSS technology is a patented, water-based density separation process used to recycle eligible plastics. The technology separates the components of postconsumer mixed plastic scrap to recover two consistent plastic streams—polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP), each with over 95 percent purity. The company says its technology improves the economics of plastic recycling for users and diverts significant quantities of PE and PP away from landfills and incineration.

IW Capital says its investment takes place against a backdrop of tightening environmental regulations, such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations, announced earlier this year by the European Union. The new regulations require 35 percent recycled content to be used in any plastic packaging by 2030, rising to 60 percent by 2040, otherwise a product using plastic packaging will not be allowed to be sold in the EU.

Impact currently has sites across the U.K. and has a pipeline of further development opportunities across the globe.

“Impact Recycling is operating in a $44 billion market, which is growing strongly due to consumer demand, regulatory changes and voluntary industry action,” IW Capital Investment Director Christopher Soames says. “We’re very excited to be backing Impact Recycling as the demand for its patented plastic recycling technology increases and we see major industry players taking sublicences to involve Impact Recycling in their operations.”

*This article was edited July 10, 2024, to correct the headquarters location of Impact Recycling.