Myplas Opens US Flexible Film Recycling Plant

SEATTLE (Scrap Monster): Myplas has officially opened its flexible film recycling plant in Rogers, Minnesota, United States, the company announced on Dec. 11, 2023. Myplas had originally eyed Spring 2023 for the start-up of the plant.

The South-Africa based recycler established the new mechanical recycling facility and pelletising plant in a collaborative effort with MBOLD, a coalition of Minnesota companies, researchers, and non-profit groups.

The Rogers plant includes two lines to handle both high- and low-density polyethylene films — food grade for HDPE, non-food grade of LDPE. Once at full capacity, the facility will recycle nearly 90 million pounds (around 40,800 tonnes) of plastic waste per year and include six or seven lines. It is expected to employ nearly 200 people.

“This is a very exciting day for Myplas as we open our US headquarters and our first US recycling facility in Minnesota,” said Andrew Pieterse, Myplas USA CEO. “It’s been a remarkable journey to help bring this vision to life, and we are proud to bring our expertise to this ground-breaking initiative. The ongoing commitment of our partners has been vital to bringing us to this point.”

Around 12 to 15 billion pounds (5,400 to 6,800 tonnes) of flexible packaging and films are used in the United States every year, for products ranging from pallet wrap to e-commerce mailers, boat wrap, food packaging, shrink wrap, lawn and garden bags, and hay bale wrap. However, only an estimated 5% of flexible films are recycled each year, with the rest being landfilled, incinerated, or released into the environment.

“The management of film and flexible plastic waste presents one of the most substantial opportunities for resource and value recovery in the plastic value chain,” said Nicholas Kolesch, vice president of projects at AEPW. “With Myplas at the centre of the MBOLD partnership, we see the demonstration of effective cross-sector collaboration from the collection of commercial and retail film waste, to processing at converters and ultimately a pathway for brands to integrate Myplas recycled plastics in their products,” he concluded.

 Courtesy: www.sustainableplastics.com