Smurfit Westrock closes Birmingham cardboard mill as UK capacity expands
Smurfit Westrock is closing its SSK cardboard reprocessing mill in Birmingham, with annual capacity of 200,000 tonnes, following a consultation process. The closure coincides with a net 1.25m tonnes of new UK cardboard reprocessing capacity due by 2027, led by Palm's conversion of its King's Lynn newsprint mill and Eren's new Shotton Mill.
Why this mattersThe UK's cardboard recycling base is being reshaped, with new large-scale corrugated capacity offsetting the loss of older reprocessing sites such as this one.
- Smurfit Westrock is closing its SSK Mill in Birmingham, with 200,000 tonnes annual cardboard capacity, after a consultation.
- Palm is converting its King's Lynn mill in Norfolk from newsprint to corrugated case material, adding 700,000 tonnes annual capacity.
- Eren's new Shotton Mill will add 750,000 tonnes annual capacity plus 67,000 tonnes of tissue paper.
- Essity's Prudhoe mill is due to be fully operational by 2027 and expected to take some cardboard as feedstock.
- The UK reprocessed about 1.3m tonnes of cardboard in 2025 out of roughly 4m tonnes collected, with 2.7m tonnes exported.
- Net UK cardboard reprocessing capacity is expected to rise by 1.25m tonnes by 2027 after accounting for the Birmingham closure.