Myplas USA, an international subsidiary of MRI Investments, owners of Myplas Pty Ltd, a South Africa–based recycling business, recently opened a 170,000-square-foot flexible film recycling facility in Rogers, Minn.
The facility will recycle pallet wrap, shrink wrap, single-use shopping bags and some food packaging.
“This is a very exciting day for Myplas as we open our U.S. headquarters and our first U.S. recycling facility in Minnesota,” Andrew Pieterse, Myplas USA CEO, said. “It’s been a remarkable journey to help bring this vision to life, and we are proud to bring our expertise to this ground-breaking initiative. The ongoing commitment of our partners has been vital to bringing us to this point. We are excited for what lies ahead.”
Once the facility reaches full capacity, it will recycle nearly 90 million pounds of plastic waste annually and employ nearly 200 people.
In the United States, between 12 billion and 15 billion pounds of flexible packaging and films are used annually, yet only an estimated 5 percent is recycled.
The company received a $13 million equity investment to develop the facility. In addition, it received financial support from Closed Loop Partners, the Alliance to End Plastic Waste, and the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.