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Alpla Group has strengthened its commitment to the UK market with the acquisition of iTEC Packaging’s plant in Mansfield, UK. iTEC Packaging is a manufacturer specialising in injection moulding, thermoforming, extrusion and compression moulding. The company’s plant in Mansfield specialises in the production of closures primarily for dairy applications, but also for other food and beverage sectors. Alpla says that the acquisition will expand its expertise as a packaging system provider in the UK market. Jens Seifried, Alpla’s UK MD, said: "With our global know-how, with this acquisition we can increasingly offer the UK dairy industry sustainable, efficient and innovative packaging solutions”. The takeover will enable Alpla to push the use of post-consumer recycled material in the closure sector, with the company hoping to offer complete solutions with high recycling content. Alpla says that this will build on its work in the processing of recycled high-density polyethene (rHDPE) in the ultra-light ‘Eco-Bottle’ – the Eco-Bottle uses around 20% less materials across its container sizes, compared to traditional milk vessels. The company developed the Eco-Bottle last year for Arla Foods UK and it is now used by other dairy businesses, the bottle’s packaging can be made of up to 40% food-grade rHDPE with new developments having the potential to increase this inclusion in coming years. The incorporation of the former iTEC Packaging plant in Mansfield provides further capacity and product range and at the same time secures jobs at the site. Alpla said the site's current staff “will be taken over in their entirety”. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.