A NEW £17m recycling plant will create 160 jobs at a Deeside paper mill.

UPM Shotton will unveil the new Materials Recovery and Recycling Facility (MRRF) on Deeside industrial estate tomorrow.

The plant will supply the existing paper mill, which employs 450 people, with 120,000 tonnes of sorted newspapers and magazines.

UPM produces high quality recycled plastics, metals and mixed papers for the international market.

When operational, it will sort up to 200,000 tonnes of recyclable material in total.

It will be opened by UPM president and chief executive Jussi Pesonen and Pekka Huhtaniemi, Finland’s UK ambassador. The Welsh Government gave the project a £1.7m grant, and 150 people were employed in the construction phase.

Ahead of the official launch ceremony, general manager David Ingham said: “The opening of our materials recovery and recycling facility is an exciting step in UPM Shotton’s sustainable manufacturing journey.

“We’ve recognised that value-added businesses succeed. This latest investment creates the UK’s best recycling recovery rates, jobs and economic development.”