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Alpla and PTT Global Chemical (GC) have opened Thailand's largest plastics recycling plant, strengthening the region's circular economy and supplying the markets with high-quality recycled material. Following 18 months of construction and installation, Envicco, the newly-opened recycling plant, will have an annual production capacity of 45,000 tonnes of PET and high-density polyethylene (HDPE), making it one of the largest plants for these plastics in Asia. Located in an economic zone on the coast of the south-eastern province of Rayong, the plant features recycling technology and production lines to manufacture high-quality plastic recyclates with approval from the FDA. Austrian-based Alpla contributes more than 25 years of recycling experience to the joint venture. It will supply its production facilities in Asia with recycled material and is also fostering the circular economy at the local level. With the plant, majority shareholder GC supports sustainable development in the region, moving it towards resource-conserving business and lifestyles. “Demand for recycled, sustainable packaging materials is rising sharply in Southeast Asia, and high-quality plastics have a key role to play here. With this new plant, we are now applying our many years of expertise in the treatment and processing of packaging made from post-consumer recycled resins in Thailand”, explained Bernd Wachter, corporate director of circular economy and recycling at Alpla. “This joint venture is a truly circular, eco-friendly project creating a comprehensive value chain for plastics in Thailand and is an excellent example of the worldwide use of Austrian green tech know-how,” added Georg Weingartner, Austrian commercial counsellor in Bangkok. Dietmar Marin, managing director of recycling at Alpla, commented: "The site also has significant expansion potential, the 30,000-square-metre plant is on a plot of land measuring 90,000 square metres at the Map Ta Phut industrial estate, providing space for future capacity expansions. “We have long-term plans to promote the bottle-to-bottle cycle not only here in Thailand, but across Asia and other regions around the world. Carbon emissions and waste can be reduced through optimised resource consumption.”