ALPLA Unveils State-of-the-Art PET Recycling Facility in South Africa

ALPLA is making a significant entry into the South African PET recycling market with the opening of a state-of-the-art facility in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal. This development comes approximately 18 months after construction began, and the company has invested €60 million in the new plant, which occupies a 90,000-square-meter site. From 2025 onward, the ALPLArecycling division is set to produce up to 35,000 tonnes of recycled PET (rPET) each year. This high-quality material will be transformed into safe, affordable, and sustainable plastic packaging at ALPLA’s production plant in Lanseria.

The new facility in Ballito is designed to produce mechanically recycled rPET flakes and food-safe rPET pellets, with an annual capacity of 35,000 tonnes. ALPLA aims to utilize the plant to enhance its operations in South Africa and contribute positively to the local economy. The opening ceremony, held on October 31, was attended by around 180 guests, including business leaders and government representatives from South Africa’s Ministries of Trade, Industry and Competition, as well as Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment. Notable attendees included Romana Königsbrun, Austria's Ambassador to South Africa.

ALPLA's CEO, Philipp Lehner, emphasized the strategic importance of South Africa to the company’s growth objectives. He stated, “Together with our customers and partners, we aim to provide safe, affordable, and sustainable packaging solutions while improving living standards. Our investments in Ballito and Lanseria lay the groundwork for a successful future.” Sihle Ngcamu, CEO of Trade & Investment KwaZulu-Natal, noted that ALPLA’s operations would not only boost industrialization in the iLembe District but also support projects aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals, thereby attracting other businesses and creating thousands of jobs in the collection infrastructure.

The Ballito recycling plant will initially have the capacity to produce 35,000 tonnes of rPET flakes, with 16,000 tonnes earmarked for conversion into rPET pellets. A cutting-edge extrusion line has been installed to facilitate this process. Production is expected to commence in early 2025 once the processes and materials have been approved by customers. Dietmar Marin, Managing Director of ALPLArecycling, highlighted that the plant would enhance the availability of rPET in South Africa’s national market, benefiting the beverage industry by providing high-quality materials while enabling compliance with legal requirements.

Since the introduction of South Africa’s Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulation in 2021, which mandates that PET beverage bottles must contain at least 10% recycled material, this requirement is set to increase to 20% by 2026. Gerhard Meyringer, the Plant Manager, remarked, “Our expertise in recycling and processing positions us as a reliable partner for sustainable solutions.” The facility is also designed for future expansion, with the potential to add a second extrusion line and utilize an additional 30,000 square meters of space. ALPLA plans to process the recycled materials into PET preforms for beverage production at the Lanseria plant, which was inaugurated in 2022.