In a shocking turn of events, £1.3 million worth of specialist recycling equipment was stolen from the QC Polymer recycling plant just days before the assets were set to be auctioned. The theft occurred on November 6, 2024, only a day before a public viewing of the equipment, which was to include advanced machinery used in recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) technology.
QC Polymer, which entered administration on October 29, 2024, had appointed Hudson Weir as joint administrators. On the day of the theft, auctioneers arrived at the plant to find that the entire building had been emptied, with no trace of the valuable machinery.
Among the stolen inventory were a range of high-tech machines essential to the plant’s production line, including a Bail Break, Trommel Separator, Tomra Autosort Bottle Sorter with EM3 Metal Sensor, and Ken Mills Aries Horizontal Bailer. Other stolen items included a steam boiler, hot wash tanks, blow down vessel, and several advanced sorting and separation systems. The complete list also featured a Boge Direct Air UK Air Compressor with a 1000L tank and dryer, and various water filtration systems.
The scale of the theft was significant, with GJ Wisdom & Co estimating that dismantling and removing the machinery would have taken up to seven days, requiring a fleet of 10 articulated lorries and two cranes for transport.
Hudson Weir’s director, Hasib Howlader, described the situation as an “extraordinary turn of events,” adding that the theft appeared premeditated. “The factory building showed no signs of forced entry,” Howlader explained, prompting investigators to suspect a carefully planned operation. Both the West Midlands Police and the Serious Fraud Squad are currently investigating the case.
The stolen equipment, which has a niche market due to its specialized nature, is unlikely to be sold easily on the open market. Hudson Weir has urged the industry to remain vigilant for any of the stolen machinery being offered for sale at significantly lower-than-market prices.
This theft highlights the vulnerability of specialized industrial assets and raises concerns about the security of such valuable equipment, particularly in times of economic uncertainty.
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