“Extrupet is proud to announce that we will double our food-grade operations by adding a fourth food-grade recycled PET (rPET) facility, which will increase our recycling capacity by an additional 33 000 tons per year,” says Chandru Wadhwani, joint managing director at Extrupet.
Extrupet, one of the largest and most advanced recyclers of plastics on the African continent, announced the major expansion of the food-grade plastic recycling operations in South Africa. Food grade refers to food-safe plastic. Meaning all plastics should be suitable for contact with consumable food or drink products. As some acidic foods or liquids can leach chemicals from their containers, it is important that they are stored in appropriate containers. According to Media Update, the recycler revealed that the first phase of this expansion is set to begin in Cape Town and will be fully operational in 2023. The development cost is estimated to be approximately R300-million and will create additional jobs in the PET bottle collection industry.
“Currently, only 60% of South Africa’s plastic bottles are recycled. With this increased capacity, we will be able to accommodate more of South Africa’s plastic waste and strengthen South Africa’s position as a circular economy leader in Africa and the world,” Wadhwani says.
Extrupet, the first food-grade plastic recycler in South Africa, currently recycles more than five million PET bottles every day. The recycled rPET is sold under Extrupet’s brand name PhoenixPET®, which has received international acclaim and is certified by the:- European Food Safety Authority
- Global Recycled Standard
- BRC Packaging (AA rating), and
- ISO 9001:2015.
