Alplarecycling joins the Brazilian HDPE recycling company Clean Bottle and acquires a majority stake in the joint venture. The plant, located in São José dos Pinhais in the state of Paraná has an annual output capacity of 15,000 tonnes of HDPE recycled material (rHDPE).

January, 22, 2025 - Expansion in South America: packaging specialist Alpla is entering the plastics recycling market. The Brazilian HDPE recycling company Clean Bottle becomes a joint venture between Alplarecycling and the previous sole owners. The plant, located in São José dos Pinhais in the state of Paraná has an output capacity of 15,000 tonnes of rHDPE.

'Demand for sustainable packaging solutions made from recycled plastic is growing on all continents. Our customers want to reduce their CO2 consumption and we support them in doing so. By investing in Clean Bottle, we are securing the long-term supply of our plants in Brazil with our own high-quality post-consumer recycled material (PCR),' explains Dietmar Marin, Managing Director of Alplarecycling.

With this strategic investment, the company is setting the course for the future and for achieving its own global recycling goals. Alpla already uses around 32 per cent PCR material in the production of HDPE packaging in Brazil – and the trend is rising. 'Brazil is the beginning of our recycling activities in South America and therefore the choice of partner is of key importance. Clean Bottle is an established manufacturer and, as a long-standing supplier, shares our quality standards,' emphasises Christoph Schneider, Regional Managing Director South America (SOAM).

Partnership for the circular economy

Clean Bottle's recycling plant boasts a modern infrastructure, self-sufficient rainwater treatment and the highest quality standards. Around 120 people are employed on the 15,000 square metre site. The company's founders, Leandro Tanaka, Adriano Tanaka and Jadir Voltoline Junior, will also contribute their experience to the management of the joint venture. The cooperation is also bolstered by the collection centre of their Clean Plastic Group in Curitiba, which will be further expanded in the future.

'For over 35 years, we have seen ourselves as a link in the circular economy, adding value to used plastics. With this vision, we have established ourselves as a strong partner for the packaging industry and society. Together with Alplarecycling, we are now taking the next step and want to grow together,' says Leandro Tanaka, Managing Director of Clean Bottle.

The joint venture has been contractually agreed by the parties. The competition law approvals are still pending. The conditions were not disclosed.

With around 24,350 employees, 200 locations and an annual turnover of 4.9 billion euros (2024), the Alpla Group is one of the world's leading companies for the production and recycling of plastic packaging. In the Alplarecycling division, the company operates state-of-the-art recycling plants at 14 locations worldwide and works with customers to develop sustainable packaging solutions with up to 100 per cent PCR content. The annual installed and projected output capacity amounts to 266,000 tonnes of recycled PET (rPET) and 99,000 tonnes of recycled HDPE (rHDPE).

Source: Alpla