Plastics recycler Extrupet has announced an expansion of its food-grade plastic recycling operations in South Africa to more than 60 000 t/y.
“Extrupet will double our food-grade operations by adding a fourth food-grade recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) facility, which will increase our recycling capacity by an additional 33 000 t/y,” says joint MD Chandru Wadhwani.
“The demand for food-grade recycling keeps increasing, especially as retailers and consumers alike opt for more environment-friendly options. Currently, only 60% of South Africa’s plastic bottles are recycled.
“With this increased capacity, we will be able to accommodate more of South Africa’s plastic waste and strengthen South Africa’s position as a circular economy leader in Africa and the world,” he says.
Phase 1 of this expansion is slated for Cape Town and is expected to be fully operational in 2023. The first phase of the expansion will cost about R300-million.
Extrupet, which is the first food-grade plastic recycler in South Africa, currently recycles more than five-million PET bottles a day.
The rPET is sold under Extrupet’s brand name, PhoenixPET, which has received international acclaim.
The company uses global fast-moving consumer goods-approved technology to recycle PET bottles into resin for reuse in new carbonated soft drink bottles. Other prominent clients include major food and beverage companies, convertors and retailers.