25 YEARS ANNIVERSARY 25 PETplanet Insider Vol. 25 No. 05/24 www.petpla.net have to stay attentive, develop a feel for topics and you must find an own, distinctive sound. PETplanet: Beyond your own efforts on social media, what other measures would you like to see implemented to improve awareness and practices regarding plastics and recycling? Lehner: In addition to social media, there is also the “aVoice” project with which we are now active in 22 countries worldwide to give plastic a voice that is heard. With this, Alpla aims to raise awareness among the population about the responsible use of plastic as a recyclable material and to start a conversation with people. The raising of awareness succeeds through education. We are not interested in greenwashing and polemics; we want to convince honestly and live our new understanding. This is exactly PET recycling plant in Tabasco, Mexico Packaging specialist Alpla is currently building a recycling plant in partnership with beverage filler Coca-Cola Femsa in the Mexican state of Tabasco. Through the joint venture, approximately 60 million US dollars are being invested in the new high-tech facility, named Planeta, which will be able to recycle more than 50,000 t/a of used PET bottles. The material is sourced from 18 dedicated collection points, where intermediaries deliver it after purchasing it from regional collectors. Overall, the plant will create about 20,000 direct and indirect jobs. The plants compensate collectors for the delivery of recyclable plastic waste - a foundation for active waste management in areas where disposal options are otherwise lacking. Through the 18 collection points already in operation for the Planeta plant, approximately 15,000 t of used PET have already been collected, with 4,000 t set for processing at the planned start of the facility in July 2024. The remainder has been processed by Imer and other recycling facilities in Mexico. The annual production capacity of the new factory will be 35,000 t of recycled material, obtained from over 50,000 t of disposed PET, which is equivalent to roughly 1.6 billion recycled 1.5 l plastic bottles per year (assuming a weight of 30 g for a 1.5 l bottle), thus reducing the amount of waste ending up in landfills or nature. Coverage of structurally weak regions Unlike the Imer recycling plant, where collection points are located in urban centres with good connectivity, the collection points delivering to the Planeta plant, located in southeastern Mexico, also cover structurally weak regions. This primarily supports rural material suppliers, who can already deliver small quantities of 20 to 50 kg through this process. In addition, each of the 18 collection sites has two pickup trucks with trailers, used to collect recyclables from collectors in remote areas. At full capacity, the recycling plant will create about 20,000 direct and indirect jobs, serving as a significant driver for sustainability and economic development. Collectors can earn income equivalent to the minimum wage, depending on the current purchase price, by delivering approximately 30 to 35 kg, or about 1,000 PET bottles. www.alpla.com what “aVoice” stands for. In combination with the initiative “plastic is fantastic”, we can change opinions and things. Now we have over 8 billion people on the planet. Plastic is becoming even more important – in medical care or as a safe packaging for protection and transportation of food. The PET bottle is an important component of a mobile drinking water supply. New products are created from collected plastic waste or energy is generated from it. That’s why we believe in the future of plastic. And that’s what we are working towards. PETplanet: Thank you very much Mr Lehner. https://linktr.ee/alpla_group https://linktr.ee/philipp_lehner https://linktr.ee/aVoice_campaigns
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