ALPLA’s recycling division, ALPLArecycling, has agreed to acquire a majority stake in Clean Bottle, a Brazilian company specialising in the recycling of high-density polyethylene (HDPE).

The financial details of the deal have not been divulged by either company.

Situated in São José dos Pinhais in the state of Paraná, Clean Bottle’s facility has an annual output capacity of 15,000 tonnes of recycled HDPE material.

This investment is poised to play an important role in ALPLA’s future, as the company currently utilises approximately 32% post-consumer recycled material in its Brazilian HDPE packaging production.

The recycling plant operated by Clean Bottle features modern infrastructure, including self-sufficient rainwater treatment.

The site, which spans 15,000m², provides employment for approximately 120 individuals.

The founders of Clean Bottle, Leandro Tanaka, Adriano Tanaka, and Jadir Voltoline Jr will bring their experience to the management of the new joint venture (JV).

The collaboration is further strengthened by the Clean Plastic Group’s collection centre in Curitiba, which is set to undergo expansion in the future.

ALPLArecycling managing director Dietmar Marin said: “Demand for sustainable packaging solutions made from recycled plastic is growing on all continents.

“Our customers want to reduce their CO₂ [carbon dioxide] 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).”

While the JV agreement has been finalised between the parties, it is still subject to competition law approvals.

Earlier this month, ALPLA announced that it had fully integrated its Egyptian site, ALPLA TABA, into its operations by acquiring all shares from its JV partner, Taba.