A RECYCLING company is looking to expand its premises and create more jobs.

Toughsheet, based in Chequerbent Works, off Manchester Road in Westhoughton, has submitted plans to expand its site with a new warehouse, which would create at least 10 new jobs.

The current site is separated from residential houses by open fields and lines of trees, which the new warehouse would also be built away from, connecting to the current site.

Toughsheet currently employ 71 full-time staff and hope to expand the business with the new warehouse.

The extension would give the company the opportunity to employ 10 new full-time workers.

Managing director Douglas Mercer said the company had faced many difficulties due to the pandemic but Brexit had really boosted the company.

He said: “Most of what you see about Brexit has been very negative but it has been fantastic for us.

“In the EU we were being out competed a lot of the time from European companies who were cheaper for companies to do business with, but this has completely changed since January 1 with UK companies now coming to us, we are competitive again.

“We’ve now invested in £5m of energy efficient machinery for this year to help us so a new warehouse was key for this.

“We are now the largest polythene recycler in Europe. By the end of the year we hope to have over 100 employees if this growth keeps going.

“It’s taken a lot of hard work over the last few years from starting off as a small company, with a sharp learning curve to grow, but we want to grasp these new opportunities while we can.

“There have been many positive signs so far with things looking quite rosy for the rest of the year. Other changes the government is making to the ban of some plastic exports to Asia is helping us too.

“This has been a great year for us so far so it’s time for us to put our money where our mouth is and invest in the company, expand our site, and bring in more jobs as a result.”

Despite over £600,000 worth of losses for the firm during the pandemic, Toughsheet also donated £1,000 to the Bolton Lions’ Toy Appeal last year, and £1,000 to Bolton Hospice in December.

A decision over the extension is due from Bolton Council around mid-April.