Alpla Group, Austrian multinational specialized in packaging and recycling, has announced its investment in the construction of a recycling plant in Romania, in Targu Mures, as part of a new partnership with Romanian manufacturer Ecohelp SRL, and Swiss company United Polymer Trading AG.

The investment in the plant and associated buildings and infrastructure comes to approximately €7.5 million.

The new facility will recycle plastic granulate from PET (rPET), which will then be used to produce new preforms and bottles, with the objective of boosting the local materials cycle within central and southeastern European regions.

The aim is to produce 15,000 tonnes of food-grade post-consumer rPET annually.

Günther Lehner, chairman of Alpla, said: "Our aim at Alpla now and in the future is to establish a bottle-to-bottle cycle – including in regions in which the collection and recycling of waste still has potential for development. By participating in this joint venture, we are taking a strategically important and sustainable step in this direction".