Alpla calls 2024 year of recycling growth

The Austria-based Alpla Group says investments in recycling contributed to its growth in revenue in 2024. The producer and recycler of packaging and packaging materials says it now invests “at least” 50 million euros ($51.5 million) each year in recycling.

The company says its commitment to a circular economy is paying off, adding it is on track to achieve its goal of using at least 25 percent recycled material in its packaging by 2025.

Alpla says its recycling division produces polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) recycled materials, or rPET and rHDPE, at 13 plants in nine countries.

The company intends to double its current installed capacity of around 350,000 metric tons per year to 700,000 metric tons by 2030. “The use of high-quality recycled material from own production is complemented by lightweighting and design for recycling,” adds the company.

Companywide, Alpla says its revenue in 2024 was 4.9 billion euros ($5.05 billion), up about 4.2 percent from 4.7 billion euros ($4.84 billion) the year before.

The family-owned company says the total number of Alpla facilities globally reached the 200 mark last year. Those plants employ some 24,350 people in 46 countries, adds the firm.

“Plastic packaging shapes the lives of billions of people,” says Alpla CEO Philipp Lehner. “As a technological market leader, we are making it increasingly lighter and more sustainable. We will continue to invest in this worldwide.”

ALPLA describes the business environment on its home continent of Europe as challenging. “Increasing European Union regulation is creating a lot of work and weakening our international competitiveness,” says Lehner. “This is compounded by high labor costs in some countries. We are countering this with increased efficiency, new products and our leading role in recycling,,” he adds.

The packaging and recycling firm says markets in the Asia-Pacific region “offer huge potential.” The firm says its facility under construction in Thailand, set to open this year, “is setting the course for the future here,” says the firm.

The company says it now operates or is building recycling plants for PET or HDPE in Austria, Germany, Poland, Mexico, Italy, Spain, South Africa, Romania and Thailand.