New plastics recycling plant helps Indonesia prevent ocean-bound plastics

“The ground-breaking ceremony of PT ALBA Tridi Plastics Recycling Indonesia’s (AATPRI)new facility represents a significant step forward for Indonesia towards its near-zero plastic pollution target by 2040. 

ATPRI is a joint venture between ALBA Group Asia and PT Tridi Oasis Group founder Dian Kurniawati. ALBA Group Asia brings to the project its combined technological know-how, operational experience, and global sales and marketing capabilities. For the project we have chosen the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as our financing partner. In accordance with the associated specifications, we will build and operatethe the new plant to the highest technical and social standards.

Recycled PET also in food grade

The new recycling plant, with an investment of around US$60 million, will be built on an area of 2.6 hectares in the Kendal Industrial Park in Central Java. The new facility will house state-of-the-art equipment capable of processing PET beverage bottles and transforming them into high-quality rPET flakes and food-grade rPET pellets. The advanced technology comes from leading equipment manufacturers in Asia and Europe and can produce approximately 36,000 tons of recycled PET annually, including food-grade recycled PET. Food-grade rPET is increasingly in demand from consumer-related industries due to their increased sustainability efforts.

Partnership with high social impact

I had the honour to lead the ground-breaking ceremony together with, Dian Kurniawati, ALBA joint venture partner and Founder of PT Tridi Oasis Group, and ADB Vice-President for Private Sector Operations and Public–Private Partnerships, Ashok Lavasa as well as representatives from the Indonesian and the regional government.

At ALBA Group Asia, we are following our vision of a world without waste. Therefore, we decided to enlarge our operations into Indonesia and establish this recycling facility in Kendal, Central Java and bring in our know-how to similar projects in Asia. Each year, approximately 8 to 12 million tons of plastic ends up in the ocean. Indonesia is one of the top contributors to marine plastic pollution. We aim at increasing the collection rates in Indonesia by creating markets. We believe in the positive social impact of this project as we work closely with local collectors and will create 150 new jobs in the region.”

Dian Kurniawati commented this: “All of us know that Indonesia’s plastic pollution problem is everyone's problem. Therefore, we need everyone's solution including the government, civil society, global companies, as well as financial institutions, through multi-stakeholders’ collaboration. We are excited to jointly working together with our joint venture partner, ALBA, who strongly demonstrates gender lensed investing. This investment not only aims to solve the waste problem and create economic value, but also empowers local SMEs and women entrepreneurs like me to upscale our organizational capabilities. We believe that this partnership is a significant example on how social and environmental issues can be resolved through strategic collaboration of multi-stakeholders.”

To fulfill its production capacity of 36,000 tons, the factory will require approximately 48,000 tons of waste PET bottles each year. These bottles will primarily be collected in Java and the region, and ALBA will actively work with, and support local collectors providing this feedstock. Our project will also generate new employment opportunities within the region in various technical and administrative roles recruited from within the local area.”

About ALBA Group Asia: ALBA Group Asia has been active in the waste management and recycling industry in Asia for more than 20 years. The company has its headquarters in Hong Kong. Further operating facilities are located in China, Indonesia, and Singapore. With its vision for a world without waste, the company focuses on four business areas: Smart City Solutions, Plastics Recycling, Green Gas & Green Fuel Technology and Hazardous Waste Recycling & Management. ALBA Group Asia originated from the Asian activities of the German ALBA Group with more than 50 years of experience in Germany and Europe, but has been legally an independent corporate group since 2019. For more information, please visit www.alba.com.

About PT Tridi Oasis Group: In 2022, ALBA Group Asia successfully completed the joint venture acquisition with PT Tridi Oasis Group and created PT ALBA Tridi Plastics Recycling Indonesia. Tridi Oasis, established in 2016, is a homegrown Indonesian recycling company aiming to turn problems in waste management into opportunities through recycling locally-sourced plastic waste into high quality raw materials which are used to manufacture packaging and textiles.

About ADB: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is committed to achieving a prosperous, inclusive, resilient, and sustainable Asia and the Pacific, while sustaining its efforts to eradicate extreme poverty. It assists its members and partners by providing loans, technical assistance, grants, and equity investments to promote social and economic development. Established in 1966, it is owned by 68 members—49 from the region.