Recycling facility will convert PET flake into food-grade recycled PET (rPET) pellet

Recycling is Top of the Agenda for Plastipak as Major Investment Announced in Spain

18-May-2021 - United Kingdom

Plastipak, a global leader in the design, manufacture and recycling of plastic containers has announced a major investment in recycling at its manufacturing site in Toledo, Spain. The new recycling facility will convert PET flake into food-grade recycled PET (rPET) pellets suitable for direct use in new preforms, bottles and containers.

The new facility will be co-located with the current preform and container manufacturing plant facilitating additional carbon savings through the elimination of resin transport. The new recycling plant will produce 20,000 tonnes of food-grade pellet per year and will commence production in the summer of 2022. The project will create approximately 14 new jobs and include additional manufacturing and warehouse space.

Pedro Martins, Plastipak’s Executive Managing Director Europe, explained “The investment in a new recycling facility in Spain will support both Plastipak and our customers in fulfilling our commitments to corporate social responsibility. The project comes in advance of minimum levels of recycled content mandated by the Single Use plastics Directive, and will support brand owners to reduce their financial obligations under the planned Spanish plastics tax.”

This will be Plastipak’s fifth global location producing recycled PET (rPET) and confirms Plastipak as the largest producer of bottle-grade recycled PET in Europe. With three long-established rPET facilities in Europe (France, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom), Plastipak already produces well over 130,000 tonnes of recycled PET in Europe. Plastipak also operates a HDPE and PET recycling plant in the US.

Jack Pacente, VP Global sustainability, said “With over 30 years recycling expertise, Plastipak has led the way in the PET circular economy, with our long-standing business strategy of bottle-to-bottle recycling, using the output to directly support our preform and bottle manufacturing. We are delighted to announce this latest round of significant investment to support the growing demand for rPET in the Spanish market.”

Plastipak Packaging, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Plastipak Holdings, Inc., is a global leader in plastic packaging and recycling solutions. With innovation as a key driver, Plastipak operates over 60 sites in North America, South America, Europe, Africa and Asia, with more than 6,000 employees. Its customers include some of the world’s most respected and recognized consumer brands. Plastipak is a leading innovator in the packaging industry, holding more than 500 U.S. patents for its state-of- the-art package designs and manufacturing processes. Plastipak’s development of award-winning technologies and commitment to sustainability reflect its dedication to putting Consumers First, Always!™ Plastipak was founded in 1967, and is headquartered in Plymouth, Michigan. Additional information about Plastipak can be found at its website www.plastipak.com.

Statements in this press release concerning Plastipak's intentions, expectations or predictions about future results or events are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements reflect management's current expectations or beliefs, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to vary from stated expectations, which variations could be material and adverse. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the time made, and the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update any such statements.