MATERIALS / RECYCLING PETplanet Insider Vol. 23 No. 05/22 www.petpla.net 19 MATERIALS / RECYCLING 19 PETplanet: Extrupet recently announced an expansion of the food-grade PET recycling operations in South Africa. Can you please explain the background and the capacities you are aiming to achieve? Wadhwani: We will double our food-grade operations by adding a second food-grade rPET facility, which will increase our recycling capacity by an additional 33,000 t/a. Currently Extrupet has one Vacurema and two Starlinger lines based out of Johannesburg. PETplanet: Can you envisage transferring your expertise to other African countries and expanding further outside South Africa? Wadhwani: We are currently in dialogue to make investments in West and East Africa, namely Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. PETplanet: What directives or legally prescribed recycling quotas must be complied with in S. Africa? Wadhwani: November of 2021 saw the beginning of this kind of legislation. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) was gazetted across three main sectors, namely, 1) electrical and electronic equipment, 2) the lighting sector, and 3) paper, packaging and single use products. For PET beverage packaging specifically, there would need to be a 10% inclusion rate of rPET in year 1, 12.5% in year 2, 13% in year 3, 15% in year 4 and 20% in year 5 in order for the bottle to comply. PETplanet: To meet these quotas, how could a reliable and predictable availability of in coming material be further improved? Wadhwani: In South Africa, most of the bottle raw material originates from landfill. Separation at source projects spearheaded by government would be a great starting point and certainly help the quality of incoming raw material. There would however be a cost associated with this, and to get the process subsidised as in Europe would be the ultimate goal. PETplanet: What is the quality of the material you receive? Wadhwani: Most of the raw material collected originates through an informal collection system, and once delivered to our factory the yield loss is as much as 35% from beginning to end. PETplanet: Which markets are you supplying with your food-grade rPET? Wadhwani: Africa, EU, UK, Australia, and the USA. There are different approval / certification levels needed for each; however our main food approval agencies, BRC, FDA, EFSA, SMETA and ISO cover most of our customer needs. PETplanet: Recently, the price for vPET was fetching around 1,700€/t, a very high value, but the price for rPET flakes was as high as 1,950€/t and for granules even 2,200€/t or more. Are you concerned about this development? Wadhwani: Yes, we are very concerned as pricing will have a huge impact on the availability of feedstock. Without which one cannot produce food grade rPET. PETplanet: Thank you very much, Mr Wadhwani! Expanding recycling capabilities South Africa’s PET recycling industry is performing well. In 2019, a total of 2.2 billion bottles were collected which amounted to a 62% recycling rate. Recycling company Extrupet announced in April a further expansion of their food-grade plastics recycling operations. We spoke to Chandru Wadhwani, Extrupet’s Joint Managing Director. STADLER’s Label Remover is just what your plastic bottles need! No bottleneck losses Better subsequent NIR detection, due to rougher surfaces of the bottles after leaving our Label Remover Economic advantage for washing systems Outstanding results with PET, PE and PP STADLER: for a clean world! STADLER Anlagenbau GmbH +49 7584 9226-0 info@w-stadler.de www.w-stadler.de LABELS: SUPERBLY REMOVED by Gabriele Kosmehl
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