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Aberdeen waste management firm acquired in multi-million-pound deal

Keenan Recycling was originally set up as a garden composting business and grew to £17.1 million turnover.

Keenan Recycling managing director Grant Keenan with his wife, Claire, the Aberdeen firm's collections director.
Keenan Recycling managing director Grant Keenan with his wife, Claire, the Aberdeen firm's collections director.

Aberdeen-headquartered Keenan Recycling has been acquired by Biffa in a multi-million-pound deal.

The company was originally started by husband and wife team Grant and Claire Keenan in 2003 as a garden composting business in Aberdeenshire’s New Deer.

Since then the couple have continued to grow the waste management firm opening sites across the UK, including Manchester, Leeds, Shrewsbury and Newcastle and achieved turnover of more than £17 million.

Managing director Grant said the Biffa acquisition will lead to “greater expansion” for Keenan, which reduces the amount of waste going into landfill by collecting and recycling organic material.

‘Remarkable growth’

The company, headquartered in Bridge of Don, operates a fleet of 80 state of the art collection vehicles across 21 depots.

Keenan employs around 140 staff nationwide with 59 of those in Aberdeen. It launched commercial food waste collection services in Scotland in 2009.

In 2015 was able to extend its reach across Scotland when it received £3.5m of investment from the Business Growth Fund (BGF) before entering the market south of the border in 2018.

It is now Scotland’s largest food waste collection company and runs a composting and biofuel facility in Aberdeen’s Innovation Business Park.

Grant 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.

Keenan Recycling has a fleet of vehicles across the UK.

“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 nine 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.”

In 2021 Keenan invested more than £4m in new trucks, and add six depots, including sites in London, Exeter and Manchester, to its fast-growing network.

In addition, the firm announced a £5m deal extending its contract to recycle all of Aberdeen’s household garden and food waste.

Processing more than 56,000 tonnes of organic waste every year, the company turns food waste into premium grade compost or biofuel, which generates electricity at numerous anaerobic digestion plants.

Keenan Recyling ‘outstanding reputation’

Biffa said the acquisition will improves the group’s capabilities in food waste collection services ahead of the implementation of the forthcoming Simpler Recycling legislation in Engand and Wales which mandates the separation of dry recyclables into designated containers as well as the separate collection of food waste.

Maxine Mayhew, Biffa Collections and Specialist Services chief operating officer, 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.

Aberdeen-based Keenan Recycling was one of BGF’s investees.

“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.”

A Biffa spokeswoman confirmed Keenan will retain its own branding with no plans to reduce the workforce.

Richard Pugh, BGF investor, said: “We’ve enjoyed working with Grant and the team over the last nine years, during which we have seen how impactful a committed entrepreneur can be with the right investment and long-term, supportive partner.

“As a Scottish company that is now a leader in its field right across the UK, this represents another success for one of Scotland’s many strong family businesses.”

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