Plastipak, a global leader in the design, manufacture and recycling of plastic containers has completed a major investment to significantly expand its PET recycling capacity at its manufacturing site in Bascharage, Luxembourg.

The original PET recycling facility in Luxembourg opened in 2008 and this new expansion increases annual production capacity by 136%. The installation and commissioning of the expansion took 12 months and has officially opened.

The recycling facility is co-located with Plastipak’s flagship preform and container manufacturing facility and converts washed rPET flakes originating from post-consumer bottles into food-grade recycled PET (rPET) pellets.

The rPET produced at the site is converted into new preforms and containers produced at the Bascharage facility, which principally serves the German and Benelux food and beverage markets. The expansion complements Plastipak’s existing recycling facilities in France, UK and USA, and follows the recent announcement of a new recycling facility at its plant in Toledo, Spain.

“This latest investment to increase our capacity in rPET production actively demonstrates Plastipak’s long-term commitment to bottle-to-bottle recycling and our leadership in the PET circular economy” explained Pedro Martins, Executive Managing Director of Plastipak’s European division. “Plastipak is the leading producer of food-grade rPET in Europe, with the majority of the post-consumer recycled material we use in Europe produced in-house”.

“Plastipak began producing post-consumer recycled resins for packaging customers in 1989, and has had many expansions in North America and Europe since then. We are excited to continue supporting our global packaging customers in achieving their sustainability goals” said Dave Stajninger, Plastipak’s Global recycling Business Manager.

Plastipak is a major convertor of recycled PET, which represents 27% of the total resin consumed in Plastipak’s European sites in 2020. At the site of this latest rPET expansion, Bascharage, the proportion of recycled resin consumed in 2020 was 45.3%.

About Plastipak Plastipak Packaging, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Plastipak Holdings, Inc., is a global leader in the packaging and recycling industries. With innovation as a key driver, Plastipak operates over 60 sites in the United States, 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.