“Reduce, reuse, recycle”: for the KHS Group these three pillars of sustainability are a composite part of its corporate philosophy. The manufacturer of filling and packaging technology consistently focuses on resource-saving, recycling-friendly systems and solutions. Together with Austrian packaging expert ALPLA KHS has now developed a returnable PET container that at 55 grams is extremely light. The 1.0-liter bottle’s high recyclate content of 35 % also has a very positive effect on its overall ecobalance.

For decades the KHS Group has been heralded as a technological leader in returnable container systems, chiefly driven by its great innovative strength and striving to develop sustainable, future-proof plant engineering. The various partnerships it has formed with innovative figures in the industry have proved a further recipe for success. Together with ALPLA KHS has now developed a returnable PET bottle that is impressive with its low weight and high recyclate content. With this development the engineering company adheres to its maxim of “reduce and recycle”, states Arne Wiese, Bottles & Shapes product manager at the KHS Group. “We aimed to produce a returnable container system that’s as environmentally friendly as possible. Two parameters are of prime importance here: low weight and a high percentage of recyclate.”

Environmentally friendly: returnable bottle’s low weight convincing

By optimizing the bottle base and neck the packaging experts managed to considerably cut down on weight compared to conventional returnable PET containers. At 55 grams, on average the 1.0-liter bottle is ten grams lighter than its standard counterparts. Compared to glass containers it clocks up just a tenth of the weight on the scales. “This optimization means that the amount of material used is much lower. At the same time, fuel consumption and thus also CO₂ emissions drop during transportation,” Wiese explains. Both have a positive effect on the bottle’s ecobalance.

Despite less use of materials the returnable system is ideal for a high circulation. The PET bottle has good resistance to caustic, meaning that its quality and appearance are maintained even after numerous washing cycles.

Sustainable: packaging system with high recyclate content

The aspects of easy recyclability and the use of recyclate also played a major role in the bottle’s development. The environmentally-friendly returnable container is not only fully recyclable and thus remains in the recycling loop; its high recyclate content is also compelling. “We’ve had outstanding test results with preforms made of up to 35 % recycled materials; preforms containing 50 % recyclate are also feasible for some brands,” states Wiese. The PET system devised by KHS and ALPLA therefore more than satisfies the European Commission’s requirement that one-way PET bottles comprise 30 % recyclate by 2030.

The optimized preforms can be blown on all KHS stretch blow molders for returnable containers. These include the particularly resource-saving InnoPET Blomax Series V. The new packaging system is suitable for all types of beverage in the returnable container segment. “We’re convinced that we can place our ecofriendly PET bottle on the market quickly and successfully. Our aim is to implement the market launch in close cooperation with bottling companies,” Wiese concludes.

Boxmore Packaging, with headquarters in Johannesburg, South Africa, will become a fully owned subsidiary of the Austrian packaging specialist ALPLA

ALPLA, a leading provider of plastic packaging worldwide, has bought an African market leader in the form of Boxmore Packaging. The company, headquartered in Samrand, Johannesburg, specialises in PET pre-forms, PET bottles and closures, and currently employs around 1,000 members of staff at nine locations.

‘The African continent is an attractive growth market for us. With the purchase of Boxmore Packaging, we now also have a broad basis for entering the market in South Africa, in addition to our activities with ALPLA TABA in North Africa’, says ALPLA CEO Günther Lehner. ALPLA has acquired 100 % of Boxmore Packaging. All employees and locations are being taken on by ALPLA, although it has been decided that the management structure will remain the same. The current board, under the leadership of Len Engelbrecht (Boxmore CEO), will continue to manage the existing Boxmore business, and in addition, take on responsibility for the integration and management of the existing ALPLA SA business. For the foreseeable future the company will continue to operate under the existing name as a member of the ALPLA Group.

Leaders in South Africa

Founded in 1995, Boxmore Packaging is seen as the market leader for PET pre-forms and bottles (ISBM technology), as well as closures, in southern Africa. Its headquarters are located in the industrial zone of Samrand near the South African city of Johannesburg. Around 1,000 employees currently manufacture approximately 4 billion of the aforementioned products each year at nine production locations. The customers of Boxmore Packaging are situated in more than 20 African countries, as well as on the islands in the Indian Ocean.

‘Both the products and customer structure of Boxmore Packaging suit our corporate structure very well’, emphasised Christoph Riedlsperger, ALPLA’s Regional Director for Africa, Middle East and Turkey. The active customer base includes numerous international consumer goods companies and long-term customers of ALPLA, but also local customers previously unknown to ALPLA. ‘With this acquisition, the biggest in the history of the company, we are taking a significant step towards our targets on the African continent,’ says Günther Lehner.

Len Engelbrecht is delighted with this strategic partnership saying, “Our combined ambition to prioritise growth in Africa is a very exciting opportunity and one that we’ll be exploring through Boxmore’s current footprint, and existing relationships in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

The takeover was signed on 5th of July 2017, implementation remains subject to the required legal and regulatory approval by the competition authorities. The contract parties have reached a confidentiality agreement regarding the financial details.