Reliance Industries plans to double PET recycling capacity

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), India’s largest private-sector firm, announced that it is doubling its PET recycling capacity by establishing a recycled polyester staple fiber (PSF) production facility in Andhra Pradesh.

As part of this, India’s leading plastic recycling and waste management company, Srichakra Ecotex India Pvt Ltd, will develop and run RIL’s new recycled PSF – Recron GreenGold and Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) flakes wash-line solely in Andhra Pradesh.

RIL’s plan to more than double its recycling capacity to 5 billion post-consumer PET bottles would ensure that India’s recycling rate stays over 90%. RIL is concentrating its efforts on maintaining India’s world-leading post-consumer PET recycling rate.

RIL will enable businesses around the country to remove post-consumer used packaging from landfills, establish recycling facilities, and generate income from waste. RIL is promoting circularity and sustainability concepts in the polymer, textile, and fashion sectors through programs such as Fashion for Earth, a collaboration with Lakmé Fashion Week and the United Nations in India, Hub Excellence Program, and Circular Design Challenge.

Vipul Shah, COO of petrochemicals business, RIL, said that the company said that the expansion of PET recycling capacity is part of Mukesh Ambani’s vision to convert their legacy business into a sustainable, circular, and net-zero carbon materials industry while also encouraging entrepreneurs to take risks across the value chain. RIL is dedicated to the growth of the whole value chain, and it shares its knowledge and technological know-how with entrepreneurs so that they may create high-quality goods at the lowest feasible cost. To assist the expansion of the company, RIL has sponsored the whole production from Srichakra’s facility.

Srinivas Mikkilineni, director – Srichakra Ecotex Pvt Ltd, said that the deal with RIL offers Srichakra a fantastic chance to grow its presence in recycled polyester staple fiber industry. Srichakra’s commitment to reducing plastic pollution will be bolstered by the collaboration, which will enable both organizations to promote India’s circular economy for plastic waste. Srichakra will be able to research, innovate and develop high-quality and sustainable products for RIL’s GreenGold portfolio thanks to RIL’s industry expertise, technical understanding, and commercial assurances.

PET bottles are currently recycled in RIL’s Barabanki, Hoshiarpur, and Nagothane facilities. PET bottles from post-consumer usage are utilized as a raw material in the production of recycled polyester fiber. RIL manufactures R | Elan GreenGold fabrics, through its Hub Excellence Partners (HEP), and the fibers generated through this method are marketed as Recron GreenGold.

RIL now transforms over 2 billion post-consumer PET bottles into fibers each year. RIL will play a key role in turning roughly 5 billion discarded PET bottles into value-added fibers with the expansion of Srichakra’s capacity.