Aliplast Expands Italy’s Rigid Plastics Recycling Capacity with €48.8 Million Plant

According to Aliplast, the company has opened a new rigid plastics recycling facility in Modena, Italy, with an annual processing capacity of up to 30,000 tonnes. The R3GID plant is designed to recover plastic waste from municipal and industrial sources and convert it into high-quality recycled polymers for manufacturing. The project represents a €48.8 million investment by the Hera Group, including €7.7 million in funding from Italy’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The facility uses NEXTCHEM’s proprietary NX Replast technology to produce recycled polymers with a certified purity level exceeding 99%. The materials are intended for applications in sectors including automotive, cosmetics, consumer electronics, and furniture, where recycled plastics must meet specific quality and performance requirements. This focus on material quality reflects a wider challenge for the recycling industry: expanding collection alone is not enough unless recovered plastics can also meet manufacturers’ specifications and be supplied consistently at commercial scale.

R3GID has been operating for several months, with employment expected to reach 80 people at full capacity. The project comes as European manufacturers face growing pressure to incorporate recycled materials into their products. Regulations such as the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) and the End-of-Life Vehicles Regulation are increasing attention on recycled content and the availability of suitable secondary raw materials. As these requirements shape sourcing decisions, investment in processing capacity could help improve the supply of recycled polymers for industrial use, although cost competitiveness and consistent quality remain important factors.

The Modena facility is part of Aliplast’s wider expansion strategy. Alongside planned developments at other sites and a proposed acquisition in Poland, the company expects to increase its annual capacity for high-quality secondary plastic raw materials to more than 210,000 tonnes. The expansion reflects the importance of building a reliable supply of recycled plastics as manufacturers seek alternatives to virgin materials.

Source: Aliplast

SUNSHINE Spotlight: For recyclers and plastics traders, the project highlights the growing importance of material specifications, dependable volumes and clear end-market demand. Suppliers able to deliver consistent recycled grades may be better positioned to serve manufacturers seeking secondary raw materials. Closer links between waste collection, recycling facilities and downstream users will also be important in turning growing demand for recycled plastics into sustained commercial activity.