LNER turns packaging waste from trains and stations into useful new products

LNER has provided insight into its recycling efforts with a recent visit to its dedicated recycling and 3D printing hub at Peterborough Station. The train operator welcomed MP for Peterborough Andrew Pakes, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Dr Nik Johnson, and Deputy Mayor Councillor Anna Smith to tour the facility.

During the visit, guests observed how waste collected from LNER trains and stations is processed and transformed into practical items used across the business. The recycling hub is supported by a dedicated team who hand-sort rubbish brought in from across the network, ensuring plastic and other materials are responsibly managed.

Plastic waste is handed over to Automedi, an on-site partner, which uses advanced technology to convert the material into filament for 3D printing. Automedi, a 2023 finalist in LNER’s Future Labs innovation programme, produces a variety of items from the recycled plastic. One example includes a custom-designed plug-drainer used in Azuma train kitchens.

Speaking about the innovative use of waste plastic, Olivia Richardson, Environmental Partnerships Manager for LNER, said: At LNER we are always looking for new ways to minimise waste, so this idea from Automedi fitted our ambitions perfectly. The fact that we have created a time saving solution for our onboard teams, by producing a bespoke drainer from waste plastic, highlights the possibilities of this project and just some of the work we are doing as a responsible business.

Andrew Pakes MP, who represents Peterborough, said: It’s brilliant to see a facility like this on the doorstep in Peterborough. Too often we don’t think about where our recycling ends up, so it is great seeing staff working hard to sort waste, producing filament which can be used in 3D printing. We’re keen to see more innovative ideas like this, and I hope this is the start of some great partnerships in Peterborough and across the railway network.

Since November 2024, over a tonne of waste plastic has been recycled through the initiative, preventing nearly seven tonnes of CO2 emissions.