#Recycling / Circular Economy

2020-12-03

New recycling capacity in France and Poland to recycle 10 billion PET bottles in Europe by 2023

10 billion post-consumer PET plastic bottles from across Europe will be recycled per year by 2023 in Indorama Ventures’ new and expanded facilities in France and Poland. Thai-based Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL) is investing USD1.5 billion globally to expand its recycling facilities. The new investment, that will see over 1.7 billion additional post-consumer PET plastic bottles recycled, was welcomed today by UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe, whose members have committed to use recycled PET (rPET) in their bottles.

Indorama Ventures expands facilities Soft Drinks Industry driving value chain investment in recycling

“Today we are announcing a new recycling facility in Verdun France and expansion of two recently acquired facilities in Bielsko-Biala and Leczyca Poland. Combined with our existing European facilities, IVL will recycle almost 10 billion post-consumer PET plastic bottles in Europe per year, by 2023. François LAGRUE, Head of Operations – Europe, Indorama Ventures Recycling Group said, This new expanded capacity will mean that, in our facilities alone, an extra 1.7 billion more bottles will be recycled in 2023, compared with 2020. This will lend significant support in realising the EU’s plastic collection and recycling targets.

“This investment in recycling is made possible because of our customers. Their commitment to bottle-to-bottle recycling allows us to invest in the infrastructure Europe needs. These new and expanded recycling facilities will support our shared goal of closed-loop and sustainable packaging solutions.”

In 2019, Indorama Ventures announced it would be aiming for a minimum of 750,000 metric tons of rPET globally by 2025, investing up to USD1.5 billion to achieve this goal. IVL’s new plant in Verdun along with recent acquisitions in Bielsko-Biala and Leczyca will work with their existing PET flake production facilities in Europe. Verdun will be commissioned in Q4 2021 and IMP Polowat’s facilities in Poland were acquired in October 2020. These provide the washed and shredded post-consumer bottles as PET flake feedstock to produce rPET resin that is suitable for food contact use. The input tonnage processed is equivalent to 9.8 billion post-consumer bottles. PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is 100% recyclable and the most collected and recycled plastic packaging in Europe

Nicholas Hodac, Director General of UNESDA Soft Drinks Europe said, “We welcome this investment in Europe’s circular economy. Europe’s soft drinks industry is working hard to drive sustainability throughout its value chain - from sourcing, production and distribution through to packaging, collection, recycling and reuse. This investment is another proof point that circularity works in Europe. By delivering a closed-loop system we ensure that valuable secondary raw material is not wasted and we achieve a well-functioning EU market.”

In 2018, UNESDA agreed a series of ambitions to make its plastic packaging more sustainable. This included using a minimum of 25 percent recycled PET (rPET) content in bottles by 2025. As a result, investment in recycling has been stimulated and rolled out. Many UNESDA members – including Suntory, PepsiCo and Coca-Cola – have gone further and announced ambitious targets for even more recycled content in Europe’s favourite soft drink bottles.

“We must ensure that the right infrastructure is in place - starting with efficient collection schemes - and that all stakeholders play their part in order to achieve a circular economy for plastic bottles. Today’s announcement is a sign that our members’ commitment is driving investment and delivering real results. PET bottles can be collected and recycled at very high rates in a closed-loop system, which also enables the industry to boost the uptake of recycled content in bottles. It is another example demonstrating that circularity works.”

Texprocess 2026: Automation, digitalisation and AI redefine textile processing

Making investment decisions in textile processing has become significantly more demanding. Increasing energy costs, a shortage of skilled labour and ongoing geopolitical uncertainties are compelling companies to focus on technologies that deliver clear gains in efficiency and process reliability. This applies equally to apparel manufacturing and to the processing of technical textiles and high-performance materials. As a result, modernisation initiatives are assessed more carefully – even as the need to upgrade production systems continues to intensify.

Techtextil 2026: Between innovation pressure & market reality

From 21 to 24 April 2026, Techtextil in Frankfurt am Main will once again become the central meeting point for the international technical textiles and nonwovens industry. Running in parallel, Texprocess will focus on the industrial implementation of textile processing technologies as the leading platform in this field. Together, the two trade fairs form a closely integrated presentation and working platform along the entire textile value chain – from material development to finished applications.

Between geopolitical pressure and industrial resilience

In this interview, Dr. Janpeter Horn (VDMA) discusses the current challenges facing textile machinery manufacturers, shaped by geopolitical tensions, regulatory developments and subdued investment. He also outlines why innovation strength, integrated solutions and strategic positioning remain key to global competitiveness.

Circular economy offers the EU win-win on environment and economy

Stepping up a circular economy offers the European Union the potential for significant positive impacts on Europe’s environment and poses an untapped and strategic economic opportunity in terms of better access to materials and the creation of new businesses. Three new assessments on circularity, published today by the European Environment Agency (EEA), also stress the need to accelerate investment in circularity efforts to meet EU climate and environment policy targets.

BB Engineering unveils new, patented “Val-uePack” spin pack at ITM

At the upcoming ITM in Istanbul, taking place June 9–13 at the Tüyap Fair Convention and Congress Center in Hall 7, Booth 702B, BB Engineering will once again be represented at a joint booth with its parent company, Barmag, and its representative, Tekstil Servis. The German machine manufacturer will show-case its expertise in man-made fiber and recycling technology, presenting its entire product portfolio, which includes compo-nents such as extruders and filters, as well as complete sys-tems for spinning synthetic fibers, air-texturing, and PET recy-cling.

Fifteen years of Autoneum – From spin off to global technology leader

What started as a strategic carve‑out has since become the success story of a global technology leader in acoustic and thermal management solutions for vehicles. Headquartered in Winterthur, Switzerland, Autoneum supplies leading automobile manufacturers worldwide with innovative, lightweight and increasingly sustainable solutions.

Kruger, Canada, orders first nonwovens line for sustainable wipes from ANDRITZ

International technology group ANDRITZ has received an order from newly established Kruger Nonwovens to deliver a complete WetlaceTM hybrid line for the Wayagamack mill in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada. With this investment, pulp and paper producer Kruger is preparing to enter the nonwovens market with a new generation of plastic-free, chemical-free materials for sustainable wipes. The line is the first of its kind in Canada and is scheduled to start production in 2028.

Picanol to present its leading weaving technology at ITM 2026

Picanol is pleased to announce it will be participating in ITM 2026 in Istanbul. This is a key event for industry professionals to engage with the Turkish textile industry as well as the extensive international audience attending the fair. During the event, Picanol will present its latest innovations to the visitors in Hall 8, booth 802.