Beverage giant Asahi is teaming up with Pact Group Holdings and Cleanaway Waste Management to build a local plastic pelletising facility.
The facility will process up to 28,000 tonnes of plastic bottles and other recyclables which will be turned into flake and food grade pellets for raw material use on food and beverage packaging. It will located in Albury/Wodonga.
Cleanaway will provide available feedstock and Pact will provide technical and packaging expertise. Asahi and Pact will buy the majority of the recycled pellets from the facility to use in their packaging.
“This venture will allow us to utilise Australian sourced recycled plastic resins to assist in meeting our sustainability commitment to transition our portfolio to recycled plastics,” Asahi Beverage’s Group CEO, Robert Iervasi, said.
“I am excited by the opportunity to participate in a market winning strategic alliance that closes the loop of the circular economy and contributes to a sustainable plastics supply chain by combining our strategic capabilities,”
The proposed facility will service markets in the East Coast and generate about 30 local jobs in regional Australia. It will be operational by December 2021.”
Pact’s managing director and CEO, Sanjay Dayal, said the facility is a “meaningful step in improving the plastics value chain”.
“The arrangement is clearly aligned with our Vision to lead the circular economy and will support Pact in achieving our 2025 Sustainability Promise to offer 30% recycled content across our packaging portfolio,” he said.
The Environmental Trust is supporting the project with a grant under the NSW Government’s Waste Less, Recycle More initiative funded from the waste levy.
