German recycler Alba (Berlin; www.alba.info) is expanding its activities in Asia. In Hong Kong, the recently founded joint venture New Life Plastics commenced construction works at a new PET and HDPE recycling plant with an annual capacity of 35,000 t. The new company is a JV between Alba, waste disposal company Baguio Waste Management & Recycling (Hong Kong / China; www.baguio.com.hk) and beverage bottler Swire Coca-Cola (Draper, Utah / USA; www.swirecc.com). The groundbreaking ceremony took place on 25 September, and the plant is expected to start up by the second half of 2020.

The new facility will be Hong Kong’s first PET and HDPE processing plant, says Alba, and is going to be built inside the EcoPark industrial zone. Alba’s role will be the provision of technical expertise in the sorting and processing of plastics into flakes and pellets. Post-conversion, the then food-grade PET flakes will be used to make new bottles, for example at Swire Coca-Cola. The HDPE pellets will be used in new products both for end-users and industrial applications.

Alba, which has a reported turnover of EUR 2.1 bn, has been operating another facility in Hong Kong for the recycling of electronic waste since March 2018.