EcoBlue invests $25m in bottle-to-bottle recycling facility in Thailand

Thailand-based recycling company EcoBlue has invested $25 million to set up a new recycling facility for PET and polyolefins, which will see the company provide high-quality, bottle-grade rPET to its customers.

With the aim of tackling plastic waste in Thailand, EcoBlue produces food-grade rPET which is made from certified 100% post-consumer and industrial recycled waste. 

The expansion will take place at the company’s production site in Rayong Province, Thailand. As part of the investment, EcoBlue will install a new Starlinger PET bottle-to-bottle recycling line at the facility.  

“With our portfolio of recycled products we provide a choice of sustainable raw materials for companies which look to reduce their impact on the environment,” said Pranay Jain, founder and managing director of EcoBlue.

He added: “In anticipation of the increased commitment of organisations towards sustainability, EcoBlue has invested in setting up a new world-class recycling facility with the very best technologies for PET and polyolefins recycling.

“By having Starlinger as a technology partner, we will ensure that we are able to provide consistent and high-quality bottle-grade rPET to our customers.”

The Starlinger technology will reportedly enable EcoBlue to provide rPET resin for bottle applications. According to Starlinger, its PET recycling line offers bigger extruder sizes with a 215mm screw – meaning it can reportedly reach an output of 2,500kg per hour and a total production capacity of around 20,000 tonnes of bottle-grade rPET per year.

Andreas Pechhacker, general manager of Starlinger recycling technology, said: “We sold the first PET recycling line with these extruder dimensions in 2019 and have witnessed a growing demand for this capacity since then.

“It is currently one of the most popular extruder sizes on the market and meets the existing trend towards higher extrusion capacities perfectly.”