The Morssinkhof Rymoplast group, in partnership with IDELUX and Fost Plus, is starting work on MOPET, a new, ultra-modern recycling centre. This will be one of the first plants in Europe to recycle PET trays into recyclate (r-PET) on a large scale, (primarily) for use in the production of new trays. This new recycling centre will strengthen Belgium’s position as a leader in recycling and resource management.
Recycling complex PET packaging
With annual recycling capacity of 40,000 tonnes of PET, including 10,500 tonnes of trays and 17,500 tonnes of bottles (including opaque PET bottles), MOPET Belgium stands out with its innovative approach. Many countries do not yet have effective collection and sorting systems in place for trays, but Belgium is setting an example with its blue bag. This will also be the first plant in Belgium to recycle opaque PET bottles, such as milk bottles, into high-quality granules suitable for contact with new beverage packaging.
The Dutch group Morssinkhof Rymoplast has invested 68.5 million euros in building the first phase of this recycling centre. This investment will result in the creation of 90 full-time jobs.
Closing the loop for PET with semi-chemical recycling
In a second phase, Morssinkhof Rymoplast plans to extend the centre onto the adjacent site. There are plans for PET that no longer meets quality requirements to undergo a semi-chemical recycling process (CuRe Technology), which is currently being developed in the Netherlands. One consequence of this will be that bottles that can no longer be recycled into granules for food contact can be reprocessed into high-quality recycled material. Phase 2 is expected to create 35 additional jobs and will involve an investment of 45 million euros.
Belgium as a recycling hub
This new plant is an important addition to Belgium's local recycling capacity. With projects such as FILAO in Charleroi, ecoo in Beringen and Houthalen-Helchteren, Plastics2Chemicals in Antwerp and now MOPET Belgium, Fost Plus estimates that 75% of the plastic packaging materials collected in Belgium will be recycled domestically by 2025.
