The Alpla Group has opened its first polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling plant in Romania with its joint venture partners, Ecohelp SRL of Romania and United Polymer Trading AG (UPT) of Switzerland. The partners say they will host the official opening ceremony May 4 at the 7.5 million euros ($8.15 million) site, which took nine months to construct. - RecyclingToday

The Targu Mures, Romania, plant is adjacent to the existing Ecohelp site and employs 20 people. It has a single extrusion line that will produce approximately 18,000 metric tons of postconsumer recycled PET (rPET) annually for the southeast European market.

The plant has space for a second extrusion line, which would double capacity.

The growing importance of local recycling processes calls for increased commitment in the region. Together with our partners, we combine strengths, increase the processing quality of the recycled PET material and ensure the long-term supply of the southeast European market.

Georg Lässer, director Business Development, Procurement and Sales Recycling at Alpla

The joint venture, which was established in autumn 2021, combines the skill sets of the three companies involved. Alpla says it brings its many years of expertise as a global recycling specialist and packaging manufacturer, while UPT has an extensive distribution network for plastics and recycled material, and Ecohelp supplies the material in the form of rPET flakes based that it produces from postconsumer PET bottles. The plant’s food-grade rPET pellets will be used to make new preforms and bottles.

The collaboration is a great example of how to improve local recycling and ensure sustainable economic development. We are filling a gap in the market for high-quality recycled material in Romania and neighboring countries.

Mihail Moloiu, general manager at PET Recycling Team Targu Mures

Alpla, which is headquartered in Hard, Austria, says it is investing 50 million euros, or $54.3 million) per year until 2025 in the ongoing expansion of its recycling activities. The annual production capacity of Alpla’s recycling companies and collaborations around the world totals 203,000 metric tons of rPET and 74,000 metric tons of recycled high-density polyethylene.