Reliance Industries To Double PET Recycling Capacity

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL), India’s largest private sector company is doubling its PET recycling capacity by setting up a recycled polyester staple fibre (PSF) manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh. The move is part of RIL’s commitment to lead the industry on the circular economy, enhance its sustainability quotient and bolster the entire polyester and polymer value chain.

As a part of this endeavour, Srichakra Ecotex India Pvt. Ltd. will build and operate exclusively for RIL the new recycled PSF – Recron GreenGold and PET flakes wash-line in Andhra  Pradesh.

RIL’s initiative to more than double its recycling capacity to 5 billion post-consumer PET  bottles will ensure India maintains over 90% recycling rate. RIL is focusing on sustaining  India’s post-consumer PET recycling rate which is currently the highest in the world.

RIL will empower entrepreneurs to divert post-consumer used packaging from landfills, set up recycling facilities and create wealth from waste throughout the country. RIL is driving various initiatives such as Fashion for Earth in partnership with Lakmé Fashion Week and  the United Nations in India, Hub Excellence Programme and Circular Design Challenge to inculcate circularity and sustainability concepts in polymer, textile and fashion industries.

Commenting on the development, Mr. Vipul Shah, COO - Petrochemicals Business, RIL, said, "The expansion of PET Recycling capacity is part of Mr Mukesh Ambani’s vision to transform our legacy business into sustainable, circular and net-zero carbon materials business and support the entrepreneurs to take risk throughout the value chain. RIL is committed to the development of the entire value chain and it shares expertise and technical know-how with the entrepreneurs to produce top quality products at the lowest possible costs. RIL  has underwritten the entire production from Srichakra’s facility to provide support for the development of the business.”

While expressing pleasure in partnering with RIL, Mr. Srinivas Mikkilineni, Director - Srichakra Ecotex Pvt. Ltd., said, “The agreement with RIL provides an excellent opportunity for Srichakra to expand its footprint into the recycled polyester staple fibre market. The alliance will propel Srichakra’s commitment to reduce plastic pollution and facilitate both organizations to advance the circular economy for plastic waste in India. RIL’s  industry expertise, technical knowledge, and business assurances will allow Srichakra to  research, innovate and develop high-quality and sustainable products for RIL’s GreenGold  portfolio.”

RIL currently recycles PET bottles at its Barabanki, Hoshiarpur and Nagothane plants. The post-consumer PET bottles are used as a raw material for manufacturing recycled polyester fibre. The fibres manufactured through this process are branded as Recron  GreenGold and RIL through its Hub Excellence Partners (HEP) (selected downstream mills)  manufactures R | Elan GreenGold fabrics, one of the greenest fabrics in the world.

At present, RIL converts more than 2 billion post-consumer PET bottles into fibers annually.  With addition of Srichakra capacity RIL will be instrumental in converting about 5 billion used  PET bottles into value-added fibers.