The Indian arm of Austrian packaging technology and solutions major, Alpla, is planning to establish an end-to-end recycling plant for PET bottles in Hyderabad.
A decision on the project to convert used PET bottles into raw materials for making the same product again is likely in the next six to eight months. This will be the first such facility in the country, Alpla India managing director Vagish Dixit said, pegging the investment required on the project to be in the ₹20-₹30 crore range.
Elaborating on what made the project unique, he said though PET bottles were recycled even now, the resultant material is used only to make a lower stream product such as a mug or a bucket. Whereas, by using technologies that help in developing high quality polymer out of waste, the end-to-end recycling plant would supply products that can be used to make the same bottle again.
The company, he said, views it as a big opportunity although Post Consumer Reuse (PCR) of PET bottles is not there in India for the same product as there are concerns about the quality. Whereas, in Europe and the U.S. it is mandatory that 25% of the bottles need to have PCR.
“There, however, are technologies available which can help in developing high quality polymer out of waste. But. it required a lot of investment and lot of courage,” Mr. Dixit said, adding: “we want to create the appetite of that courage.” There are a lot of companies like Procter & Gamble and Reckitt Benckiser that are keen to support the company.
The capacity of the plant would be 5-6,000 tonnes a year, he said. Alpla would be working with social enterprises such as Waste Ventures, which connects with companies and create a platform to collect waste in a sustainable way.
“I am already working in the background whether they can help me in accumulating 5-6 tonnes of PET,” Mr. Dixit said, adding work with work with such social engagement entities was necessary for the project “because we cannot work on back-end, it is very complicated.”
Alpla has seven plants in the country with the one in Hyderabad the largest and the investment on them till date has been around ₹600 crore with half of that in the plant at Pashamylaram here.
Alpla India produces 750 million bottles and 4 billion caps annually. In addition, it supplied pre-forms to Coca Cola that are blown into bottles by the beverage major.
