Million euro project

ALPLA opens state-of-the-art recycling plant in Africa

The new ALPLA plant in Ballito.(Bild: ALPLA)

The globally active Vorarlberg-based plastic packaging manufacturer ALPLA has opened a new recycling plant in the South African coastal town of Ballito (KwaZulu-Natal province) after a construction period of one and a half years. 

Recycling has been a top priority at ALPLA for several years. The opening of the plant in South Africa represents a further step towards sustainability. The packaging specialist from Harden invested 60 million euros in the new plant, which could produce up to 35,000 tons of PET recycling material (rPET) from around 60,000 PET bottles per year from 2025 - the majority of which will be used to produce plastic packaging at the nearby ALPLA plant in Lanseria.

"Strategically important market"
The site in Ballito, on an area of 90,000 square meters north of Durban, is ALPLA's first recycling plant in Africa. It is expected to recycle 60,000 PET bottles per year. "South Africa is a strategically important market for us in which we want to grow continuously," said Alpla CEO Philipp Lehner on the occasion of the opening on October 31. The aim is to create affordable and sustainable packaging solutions "and further raise the standard of living", said Lehner.

The new plant is state-of-the-art.(Bild: ALPLA)

Signs continue to point to growth
Initially, around 100 people will be employed in Ballito. An additional 30,000 square meters of space is available on the site for further expansion.

ALPLA employs around 23,300 people at 196 locations in 47 countries. The company produces packaging systems, bottles, closures and injection-molded parts. A total of seven sites are operated in South Africa, Mauritius and Angola - further investments are planned in southern Africa in the coming years.