Extrupet, one of the largest and advanced recyclers of plastics in Africa has announced a major expansion of their food-grade plastic recycling operations in South Africa.
Chandru Wadhwani, Joint Managing Director at Extrupet said, “We are proud to announce that we will double our food-grade operations by adding a fourth food-grade recycled PET (rPET) facility, which will increase our recycling capacity by an additional 33,000 tons per year. The demand for food-grade recycling keeps on increasing, especially as retailers and consumers alike opt for more environmentally 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,” added Wadhwani.
Phase 1 of this expansion is slated for Cape Town and is expected to be fully operational in 2023. The development will cost approximately R300 million (USD 20.5 million) and will create additional jobs in the PET bottle collection industry.
Extrupet currently recycles more than 5 million PET bottles every day. The rPET is sold under Extrupet’s brand name PhoenixPET, which is certified by the European Food Safety Authority, Global Recycled Standard, BRC Packaging (AA rating) and ISO 9001:2015.
The company was the first on the continent to use global FMCG 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.