**Alpla’s R1.1 Billion Recycling Plant Poised to Transform South Africa’s Packaging Industry**
**A New Era in Recycling: Alpla’s Groundbreaking R1.1 Billion Facility in Ballito**
International packaging and recycling specialist Alpla has taken a major leap into South Africa’s polyethylene terephthalate (PET) recycling market with the inauguration of a state-of-the-art recycling plant in Ballito, worth R1.1 billion. Spanning an impressive 90 000m², the facility marks a significant milestone in South Africa’s recycling and packaging industries, aiming to produce up to 35 000 tonnes of recycled PET (rPET) annually starting from 2025.
**A Boost for KwaZulu-Natal Economy and Sustainable Packaging Solutions**
The Ballito facility will supply high-quality, food-safe rPET flakes and pellets, a vital component in producing plastic packaging at Alpla’s Lanseria production plant. With Alpla’s investments in both Ballito and Lanseria, the company has laid the foundation for a promising future in South Africa, underscoring the strategic importance of the South African market.
Chair of the board at Alpla, Günther Lehner, expressed Alpla’s commitment to “providing safe, affordable, and sustainable packaging solutions” through collaboration with customers and partners. Managing director, Dietmar Marin, emphasizes the facility’s role in increasing the national supply of rPET to help South Africa’s beverage industry meet the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) regulations, which mandate 20% of recycled material by 2026.
**Accelerating Industrialization and Supporting Sustainable Development**
Alpla’s involvement in Ballito is expected to accelerate industrialization in the region, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and attracting additional companies along the value chain. As CEO of Trade and Investment KwaZulu-Natal, Sihle Ngcamu noted that “Alpla’s engagement has transformative implications for our local economy and environment.”
**Future Growth and Industry Advancements**
The plant’s versatile design accommodates space for additional extrusion lines and expansions to enhance production capacity. Gerhard Meyringer, the plant manager, highlights Alpla’s commitment to the circular economy in South Africa by facilitating regional collection programmes, and reducing waste through close cooperation.
Alpla’s investment in Ballito comes as the culmination of significant steps taken by the company to promote sustainability, having launched its Lanseria plant in 2022 for recycling PET into preforms for beverage bottles.
