ALPLA obtains funding to test food-grade HDPE recycling

Austrian packaging and recycling firm ALPLA has obtained government support in the Netherlands and launched a new recycling venture to pilot a proprietary solvent-based method for producing food-grade recycled high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The pilot trials are underway at the NTCP (National Test Centre Circular Plastics) facility in Heerenveen.

The four-year research and development project is financed by the Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth. The initiative will evaluate each step of the recycling process through a pilot plant operated jointly by ALPLA and NTCP, an independent technology institute.

Michael Heyde, head of technology for ALPLAs recycling division, explained, Currently, the European Union has no certified method for producing food-grade recycled HDPE. Our advanced process for cleaning and converting post-consumer recycled material could fundamentally change the market.

ALPLA intends to apply for approval from the European Food Safety Authority. If granted, the company plans to scale up the technology commercially ahead of the EUs 2030 Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which will set minimum recycled content requirements for packaging in the EU market.

The patented approach enables industrial-scale production of food-safe recycled HDPE for the first time. ALPLA has established a dedicated recycling entity in the Netherlands to support both demonstration and potential commercial operations. The company already manages 14 recycling facilities worldwide for polyethylene terephthalate and HDPE, with combined current and planned capacity of 400,000 tons per year.

The majority of recycled output is used for internal packaging applications. The pilot plant in Heerenveen is operated by a joint ALPLA-NTCP team, with policy and financial backing from the Dutch Ministry of Climate Policy and Green Growth.

NTCP CEO Martine Brandsma noted, Working with ALPLA aligns perfectly with NTCPs mission as an independent knowledge institute, accelerating technology development with leading partners. New solutions are essential to close the plastics value chain while minimizing waste.

In early 2025, ALPLA expanded its Asia-Pacific operations with a new facility in Chachoengsao, Thailand.

Author: Maya Henderson