The HDPE recycling plant will be equipped to produce 15,000 tonnes of post-consumer recycled material each year
Illustration of the new HDPE recycling plant in Toluca, Mexico. (Credit: ALPLA Group)
Austrian plastics manufacturer Alpla has announced plans to build €15m plant in Mexico for recycling high-density polyethylene (HDPE).
Planned to be built in Toluca, the new recycling plant will be equipped to produce 15,000 tonnes of post-consumer recycled material each year.
The recycled HDPE material will be used for non-food applications such as packaging solutions for personal care or household cleaning products.
Alpla’s new HDPE recycling to be completed in H2, 2021
Construction on the new recycling plant is scheduled to commence in autumn 2020 with completion slated in the second half of 2021.
Alpla Recycling Head Georg Lässer said: “Alpla has been demonstrating forward-looking action in the field of recycling for many years.
“We invest in regions where the demand for recycled material is not yet that high. In doing this, we give used plastics value and act as role models for the achievement of the circular economy.”
Alpla Mexico regional manager Carlos Torres said: “This is how we generate demand among collection companies and support the development of the necessary infrastructure. In addition, we can offer our regional customers the “circularity” demanded of recyclable materials.”
The facility, which is expected to create 65 jobs, is expected to serve markets primarily Mexico, and countries in Central America and the US.
Last year, the Austrian plastics firm acquired two recycling plants in Spain, marking its entry in the field of HDPE recycling.
Industria Mexicana de Reciclaje (IMER), a joint venture between ALPLA México, Coca-Cola México and Coca-Cola Femsa, currently operates bottle-to-bottle recycling plant in Latin America, which was launched in 2005.
The partners currently produce almost 15,000 tonnes of food-grade recycled material from post-consumer PET per annum.
Earlier this year, Alpla and KHS have announced the joint development of new one-litre reusable PET bottle, as part of their sustainable efforts.