Biffa
Waste management company
title: "Biffa" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["waste-management-companies-of-the-united-kingdom", "companies-formerly-listed-on-the-london-stock-exchange", "1910-establishments-in-england", "high-wycombe", "2016-initial-public-offerings", "2023-mergers-and-acquisitions"] description: "Waste management company" topic_path: "geography/united-kingdom" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biffa" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Waste management company ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox company"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Biffa Limited |
| trade_name | Biffa |
| logo | Biffa logo.gif |
| type | Private |
| traded_as | (2016–2023) |
| ISIN | |
| foundation | in Wembley, London, England |
| founder | Richard Henry Biffa |
| hq_location | High Wycombe |
| location_country | England |
| locations | |
| area_served | United Kingdom |
| key_people | |
| industry | Waste management |
| revenue | £1,042.0 million (2021) |
| operating_income | £44.2 million (2021) |
| net_income | £(40.5) million (2021) |
| owner | Energy Capital Partners (2023–present) |
| num_employees | 8,238 (2021) |
| homepage | |
| :: |
| name = Biffa Limited | trade_name = Biffa | logo = Biffa logo.gif | caption = | type = Private | traded_as = (2016–2023) | ISIN = | genre = | fate = | predecessor = | successor = | foundation = in Wembley, London, England | founder = Richard Henry Biffa | defunct = | hq_location= High Wycombe | location_country = England | locations = | area_served = United Kingdom | key_people = | industry = Waste management | products = | revenue = £1,042.0 million (2021) | operating_income = £44.2 million (2021) | net_income = £(40.5) million (2021) | aum = | assets = | equity = | owner = Energy Capital Partners (2023–present) | num_employees = 8,238 (2021) | parent = | divisions = | subsid = | homepage = | footnotes = | intl = Biffa Limited is a waste management company headquartered in High Wycombe, England. It provides collection, landfill, recycling and special waste services to local authorities and industrial and commercial clients in the United Kingdom. In 2017 it was the UK's second-largest waste-management company. It was listed on the London Stock Exchange until it was acquired by the private-equity firm Energy Capital Partners in January 2023.
History
The company, which was originally engaged in the removal and sale of ashes and clinker from London power stations, was founded in Wembley by Richard Henry Biffa as Richard Biffa Limited, in 1912.
In 1958 Richard Henry Biffa's grandson, Richard Charles Biffa, joined the business and after becoming general manager in 1963, grew the business organically and by acquisition.
Severn Trent demerged the company to a consortium formed by Global Infrastructure Partners, Montagu Private Equity and Uberior Co-Investment in 2008.
The company was re-listed on the London Stock Exchange on 17 October 2016. In June 2022, Biffa received a buyout proposal from private-equity firm Energy Capital Partners at £4.45 a share, a 37% premium to the share price, valuing the company at £1.36 billion. In January 2023, the takeover was agreed, with shareholders receiving 410 pence per share and the shares were suspended on the London Stock Exchange on the 27th January 2023.
Operations
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Biffa_VE59FVU.jpg" caption="A Biffa [[Dennis Eagle]] rubbish truck in [[Plymouth]] in March 2010"] ::
Biffa covers 95% of the UK. The company runs two Material Recycling Facilities (MRF).
Prosecutions for illegal activities
Biffa has been prosecuted for the following breaches of environmental waste export laws:
- The company was convicted of four breaches of waste shipment regulations during the period 2018–2019.
- The company was convicted of attempting to export used nappies and materials illegally in 2020.
- In 2021, the company was found guilty in a case brought about by the Environment Agency, having attempted to illegally export banned household waste items, including plastic bags, tins, clothing and condoms - incorrectly identified as waste paper. The company was fined £1.5 million, and severely rebuked by Judge Shane Collery QC, who described Biffa as "having shown no contrition" for this crime, referring to their actions as "reckless, bordering on deliberate".
References
References
- "Annual Report 2021". Biffa.
- (23 September 2017). "Business Interview: Biffa chief Ian Wakelin". [[The Scotsman]].
- (27 January 2023). "Energy Capital Partners (ECP) Completes Acquisition of Biffa". PR Newswire.
- (24 December 2012). "Biffa looking forward after 100 years". Let's Recycle.
- (5 June 2000). "Severn Trent to buy UK Waste". [[Citywire]].
- (14 June 2017). "Biffa profits hit by costs of London float". [[The Daily Telegraph]].
- (7 June 2022). "UK waste manager Biffa receives takeover bid". [[Financial Times]].
- (7 June 2022). "Waste-management specialist Biffa soars on $1.7 billion buyout proposal". [[Reuters]].
- "US private equity firm completes Biffa acquisition".
- (24 October 2019). "How a fifth of all recycling sent to one north London plant is just burnt, fuelling the capital's dirty air crisis". [[Hackney Gazette]].
- (30 July 2021). "Waste firm fined £1.5m for illegal exports of rubbish".
- (3 July 2020). "UK waste firm Biffa loses appeal after exporting dirty waste to China".
- (30 July 2021). "UK waste firm fined £1.5m for exporting household waste".
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