ALPLA recycling partnership with Re-Purpose

The ALPLA Group and Re-Purpose have announced a strategic partnership that will advance sustainable packaging solutions and strengthen the feedstock value chain of ALPLA’s very first PET recycling facility in Africa.

ALPLA is investing 60 million euros in the construction of a state-of-the-art recycling plant in Ballito in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal. Construction of the plant on the 90,000-square-metre site is well advanced. From the beginning of 2025, the plant is expected to produce over 35,000 tonnes of recycled PET (rPET) annually. Durban-based Re-Purpose is one of the market leaders in the reverse logistics of post-consumer plastic waste through source-oriented collection programmes.

With four material recovery facilities around KwaZulu-Natal, Re-Purpose is developing and empowering local communities and buy-back centers to collect and divert a significant volume of plastic waste. The model is also creating hundreds of jobs and income for previously disadvantaged people.

The partnership combines the recycling expertise of ALPLA and the innovative reverse logistics of Re-Purpose. By joining forces, the two companies aim to develop innovative solutions and promote the circular economy. At the same time, a large number of jobs will be created in KwaZulu-Natal, neighboring provinces and potentially throughout the country.

Circular economy and waste reduction

As part of the collaboration, Re-Purpose will maximize the utilization of its current baling centers and set up new centers to make it easier for people to collect PET bottles. Re-Purpose will also assist ALPLA in building a strategic supplier base for PET bottle bales and work with key stakeholders to expand community reach and separation at source programmes. The aim is to contribute to the collection of 5,000 tons of PET per month. This volume is expected to be required for the full capacity operation of ALPLA’s recycling plant from 2026.

“We are thrilled to partner with Re-Purpose to accelerate our journey towards a more sustainable future. This collaboration allows us to expand our portfolio of packaging solutions made from recycled PET material, offering our customers in the region innovative alternatives that align with their sustainability goals,’ says Dietmar Marin, managing director of the Recycling Division at ALPLA.

Re-Purpose brings its expertise in baling with state-of-the-art machinery and in developing collection models from the source. The partnership strengthens the company’s impact and drives the widespread adoption of collection programmes with buy-back centers, waste pickers and schools. ‘We are excited to join forces with ALPLA to drive innovation and sustainability in the recycling industry. By combining ALPLA’s extensive recycling experience with our reverse collection model, we are expanding the circular economy and supporting manufacturers in achieving the required EPR targets,’ says Bevlen Sudhu, founder and managing director of Re-Purpose.

Together, ALPLA and Re-Purpose are committed to driving the development and introduction of sustainable packaging solutions that benefit businesses, consumers and the environment alike. This partnership marks a significant step forward towards a more circular and sustainable environment.

ALPLA is one of the world’s leading companies in the manufacture and recycling of plastic packaging. Around 23,300 employees worldwide produce custom-made packaging systems, bottles, caps and molded parts at 196 sites across 47 countries. The high-quality packaging is used in a wide range of areas, including for food and drinks, cosmetics and care products, household cleaning products, detergents and cleaning agents, pharmaceutical products, engine oils and lubricants.

ALPLA operates recycling plants for PET and HDPE in Austria, Germany, Poland, Mexico, Italy, Spain, Romania and Thailand. Other projects are being realized elsewhere around the world.