The expanded capabilities will enable the recycling of 10 billion post-consumer PET plastic bottles per annum in both countries by 2023
Indorama is set to expand recycling capabilities of PET bottles in France and Poland. (Credit: Maurice Angres from Pixabay)
Thailand-based Indorama Ventures (IVL) has unveiled plans to establish a new recycling facility in France and expand its two facilities in Poland.
Indorama is planning a new recycling facility in Verdun, France, in addition to expanding its two recently acquired facilities in Bielsko-Biala and Leczyca in Poland. These facilities will complement the company’s existing PET flake production facilities in Europe.
The expanded capabilities will allow the company to recycle 10 billion post-consumer PET plastic bottles per annum in France and Poland by 2023.
The new investment will help the company to recycle an additional 1.7 billion post-consumer PET plastic bottles by 2023, as compared to 2020.
Based on an average weight of 25g per bottle, the new capacity in France and Poland will expand Indorama’s total European post-consumer PET bottle processing from 8.1 billion to 9.8 billion bottles.
Indorama’s investment is appreciated by UNESDA Soft Drinks, which has members pledged to use rPET in their bottles.
Indorama is investing around $1.5bn to expand its recycling facilities across the globe. It aims to produce a minimum of 750,000 metric tonnes of recycled PET (rPET) by 2025.
The company acquired two Polish facilities from IMP Polowat in October this year. Indorama is planning to commission the Verdun facility in the fourth quarter of 2021.
The facilities will be used to convert washed and shredded post-consumer bottles into PET flake feedstock for the production of rPET resin, which can be used for food contact applications.
According to the company, the input tonnage processed is equivalent to 9.8 billion post-consumer bottles
Indorama Ventures Recycling Group operations head François Lagrue said: “This investment in recycling is made possible because of our customers.
“Their commitment to bottle-to-bottle recycling allows us to invest in the infrastructure Europe needs. These new and expanded recycling facilities will support our shared goal of closed-loop and sustainable packaging solutions.”
Recently, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) approved a $100m financing package for Thailand-based chemicals firm Indorama Ventures Public Company (IVL) to help minimise the environmental impact of plastic and promote a circular economy.