NEWS that the Blaenau Gwent company which has been picked to make new paper straws for McDonald's is to set up a new factory in Ystrad Mynach, has been welcomed.

Last month it was announced Ebbw Vale-based Trascend Packaging had been chosen as one of two companies producing new straws for the fast food giant, and it was later revealed the first would set up a new production facility at the Dyffryn Business Estate in Ystrad Mynach following a long-term lease agreement with Caerphilly Council.

Leader of the council's Plaid Cymru group Cllr Colin Mann welcomed the news, saying the Ty Dyffryn unit had been 2 'white elephant' for the past 13 years.

“It’s great news for the local economy that Transcend Packaging is coming to the area making a sustainable product. with 100 jobs initially and 200 jobs by 2021," he said.

“However, we cannot ignore the background to this building. Ty Dyffryn was bought in 2005 by the then Labour administrative for £5.2 million.

“It was frankly a reckless waste of public money, as the suitability of the building was not properly checked out for the proposed waste process and treatment use prior to the purchase being made.

“Then the council began an effort to attract good quality jobs to Ty Dyffryn without success and it became a white elephant, hardly used over a 13 year period.”

When the announcement was made council’s leader Cllr Dave Poole said: “This is fantastic news for the local economy and we look forward to the businesses going into full production in the near future.

“Plastic pollution is high on the global agenda at the moment and we welcome the opportunity to work with a company with such green credentials who will bring new jobs and investment into the area.”

And deputy leader Cllr Sean Morgan said: “This is yet another vote of confidence in the Caerphilly county borough and highlights the fact that we are an attractive place to do business thanks to our strategic location in the heart of the Cardiff capital city region.”

Managing director Lorenzo Angelucci said: “Many members of our Transcend team have worked and live in Caerphilly and we plan on becoming an integral part of this community.

“I have been consistently impressed with this special part of south Wales which is full of passion, skills and resources, and appreciate the vision and support of the council in making our move here possible.

“We are proud to call the Caerphilly county borough home and look forward to providing jobs and opportunity here for many years to come.”

The company previously announced it is investing £11 million into expanding its operation following the news it had been awarded the McDonald’s contract, with the help of a £500,000 grant from the Welsh Government, which will be handed out of the next three years.

The move to paper straws by McDonald’s comes in the midst of a widespread campaign to cut the use of plastic, prompted largely the BBC’s Blue Planet II series, which highlighted the impact of plastic on the world’s oceans.

Finland-based Huhtamaki will also produce the straws from a factory in Belfast.