#Recycling / Circular Economy

2021-07-08

New Karawang facility to recycle 2 billion PET plastic bottles annually

Thailand-based Indorama Ventures Public Company Limited (IVL), the world’s largest producer of recycled PET for beverage bottles, today announced it will build a facility in Karawang, West Java, to recycle almost 2 billion plastic bottles a year in support of the government’s plan to reduce ocean debris.

Indorama Ventures’ new recycling facility supports government action on ocean debris

The facility, which is planned to launch in 2023, will recycle 1.92 billion PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic bottles annually and create 217 new jobs. It is part of IVL’s global commitment to divert post-consumer PET bottles away from waste and back into the circular economy, supporting the Government of Indonesia’s National Plan of Action on Marine Plastic Debris. The recycling plant will provide the washed and shredded post-consumer bottles as PET flake feedstock to produce recycled resin that is suitable for food contact use.

Bahlil Lahadalia, Minister of Investment of the Republic of Indonesia, said, “I appreciate the initiative of Indorama Ventures to help the government to end and mitigate the plastic waste crisis through their investment in this greenfield recycling facility. It is time for the government, and all of us, to take action and address the waste problem. We invite more investors who are committed to social impacts for the community and environment. Together we must safeguard the richness of our marine biodiversity for our children and grandchildren.”

As the largest archipelagic state in the world, Indonesia is endowed with great biodiversity, rich natural resources as well as strategic and economic value that have all created blessings and challenges for Indonesians. Against this backdrop, Indonesia will by the end 2025 reduce 70% of its plastic debris from 2017. PET plastic, commonly used in bottles, is 100% recyclable and the most collected and recycled plastic packaging in the world.

“The unique PET plastic used in soft drinks and water bottles is 100% recyclable and must never end up in our oceans. Today we are announcing a new PET recycling facility in Karawang. It will recycle 1.92 billion post-consumer PET bottles per year from across Indonesia by the end of 2023,” said Mr. Yashovardhan Lohia, Chief Sustainability Officer at Indorama Ventures. “We are pleased to contribute to the Indonesian economy by adding 217 ‘green jobs’ as well as indirect employment to the area. Today’s announcement is possible because of Indonesia’s ambitious national plan to reduce marine plastic debris by 70%, reduce solid waste by 30%, and handle 70% of solid waste by 2025.”

Mr. D K Agarwal, CEO of Combined PET, IOD and Fibers Business at Indorama Ventures said, “The Indonesia Government’s leadership on waste allows us to invest in the infrastructure needed. Giving waste an economic value, as feedstock for new bottles, also drives improvements in waste collection systems. By building the infrastructure to recycle post-consumer PET bottles into new bottles, we are reducing waste and preserving our oceans. This new recycling facility will support our shared goal of closed-loop solutions and clean oceans.”

Indorama Ventures has six Indonesian sites across Purwakarta, Cilegon, Tangerang and Karawang. With this new recycling facility, IVL brings a circular business model to support our Indonesian operations. In 2019 Indorama Ventures announced it aims to recycle a minimum of 750,000 metric tons of PET globally by 2025, investing up to US$1.5 billion to achieve this goal. IVL’s new plant in Karawang, along with its other recycling facilities in Southeast Asia, will work with existing PET flake production facilities in Indonesia.

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.