Alpla is entering the South African PET recycling market. A new production plant in Ballito is set to supply up to 35,000 tonnes of PET recycling material per year from 2025. It has now been opened.
Around one and a half years after the start of construction, Alpla opens a modern plant in Ballito. The new plant in the province of KwaZulu-Natal was 60 million euros invested. From 2025, the ALPLArecycling division will produce up to 35,000 tonnes of mechanically recycled rPET flakes and food-safe rPET pellets in South Africa every year. The high-quality material is then processed at the Alpla production plant in Lanseria into safe, affordable and sustainable plastic packaging processed.
„South Africa is a strategically important market for us in which we want to grow continuously. Together with our customers and partners, we want to support our customers with safe, affordable and sustainable packaging solutions and further improve living standards. Our investments in Ballito and previously in Lanseria are laying the foundations for a successful future.“
Philipp Lehner, CEO Alpla
„Alpla's commitment not only accelerates the industrialisation of the iLembe District Municipality, but also ensures that investments are made in projects that are the UN Sustainable Development Goals The project will support the development of the collection infrastructure, attract other companies along the value chain and create several thousand jobs in the collection infrastructure,“ says Sihle Ngcamu, CEO of Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal.
Setting the course for the future
The recycling plant in Ballito is starting with an output capacity of 35,000 tonnes of rPET flakes, of which 16,000 tonnes processed into rPET pellets be realised. A state-of-the-art extrusion line was installed for this purpose. Following the qualification of all processes and customer approvals for flakes and pellets, Alpla will start production at the beginning of 2025.
„Our plant increases the supply on the national market for rPET. The country's beverage industry benefits twice over: it receives high-quality material and can fulfil the legal requirements.“
Dietmar Marin, Managing Director ALPLArecycling.
According to the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Regulation adopted in South Africa in 2021, PET beverage bottles must contain 10 per cent recycled material from 2022. The law stipulates a doubling to 20 per cent by 2026.
„With our expertise and experience in recycling and processing, we are a reliable partner for sustainable solutions. At the same time, we promote the circular economy in South Africa and reduce waste through close cooperation with regional collection programmes.“
Gerhard Meyringer, Plant Manager
The recycling plant is already designed for an increase in the pellet proportion and can also accommodate a second extrusion line. An additional 30,000 square metres are available on the site for further expansion. Alpla processes the high-quality recycled material in the production plant opening in 2022 in Lanseria to PET preforms for the production of beverage bottles.
Source: Alpla
