About ALPLA

ALPLA is a global leader in the development and production of high-quality rigid plastic packaging solutions, operating 200 production sites across 46 countries and employing more than 24,000 people worldwide at the end of 2024. We specialise in innovative packaging systems, including bottles, closures and injection-moulded parts, and cater to a diverse range of industries. Our products serve both global brand owners and local customers, reaching an estimated 3 billion consumers worldwide. With over 30 years of mechanical recycling expertise, we are also committed to closing the loop for plastic waste.

Base plants

At the end of 2024, ALPLA operated 113 base plants in 41 countries, ensuring short cargo routes and a faster, more flexible approach to cooperation with customers and partners. Consequently, these facilities have applications and technologies specialised in the local market demand. The base plants also include facilities in our new division focusing on injection moulding, ALPLAinject.

In-house solutions at ALPLA

Apart from base plastic packaging plants, ALPLA also has 68 in-house plants in 26 countries. During the reporting period, six new in-house facilities started production. These fully integrated production plants on the customer’s premises and in their supply chain are a core strategy and key competency of ALPLA, driving customer success across diverse market segments worldwide.

An in-house operation provides multiple benefits. By eliminating transport and secondary packaging, it is not only a cost-efficient business model but also an environmentally friendly one, while being a showcase of close and long-term cooperation between value chain participants.

Recycling plants

At the end of the reporting period, ALPLA’s mechanical recycling network comprised 13 plants – including 4 joint ventures – in 9 countries (Germany, Italy, Mexico, Austria, Poland, Romania, Spain, South Africa and Thailand). The installed and projected output capacity amounted to 350,000 tonnes of PCR material per year in 2024 – 266,000 tonnes of rPET (post-consumer recycled PET) and 84,000 tonnes of rHDPE (post-consumer recycled HDPE). Our process starts with the aggregation of pre-sorted PET and HDPE bales, followed by bottle sorting, washing, grinding, sink–float separation, flake sorting and, lastly, extrusion and decontamination.

The application of recycled material turns used packaging into new packaging in line with the bottle-to-bottle principle. It promotes the refinement of efficient recyclables collection, allows regional loops to be closed and boosts the further development of sustainable recycling technologies. Recycling is therefore a fundamental part of a functioning circular economy and a critical lever for decarbonisation, with the product carbon footprints of the rPET and rHDPE produced by ALPLA’s recycling plants being up to 87% smaller than those of respective virgin materials.

We have a clear focus for growth under the brand ALPLArecycling. We are investing around 50 million euros per year in recycling activities; in 2023 and 2024 alone, three new recycling plants started operations (in Romania, Mexico and South Africa).

Pharma plants

ALPLA has been producing plastic packaging for pharmaceutical products since 2016, including bottles, containers, caps, dosage systems and accessories in certified (ISO class 7 and 8) clean-room quality on request. In addition to standardised products for the pharma industry, we focus on packaging for over-the-counter (OTC) pharmaceuticals and food supplements. The rapidly growing segment was consolidated under the brand ALPLApharma in 2019 and has been gradually expanded through various acquisitions. During the reporting period, the acquisition of the Polish company APON enabled ALPLA to increase its presence in Central and Eastern Europe while the continuous cooperation with Spanish joint-venture partner Inden Pharma unlocked new opportunities for market expansion with an enriched product portfolio and the acquisition of Heinlein Plastik-Technik considerably increased our injection-moulding capacity. In 2024, there were a total of five dedicated plants serving pharma customers in Germany (2), Spain, Greece and Poland. 

Fibre plants

Since 2019, Paboco (The Paper Bottle Company) has been developing fibre-based packaging solutions made from pulp. After the successful test phase of its first products – involving business partners such as The Absolut Company, Carlsberg Group, The Coca-Cola Company, L’Oréal and Procter & Gamble – the Danish joint venture became a 100% subsidiary of ALPLA in 2023 with an aim of driving the rapid industrialisation of the fully recyclable paper bottle, which is made from FSC-certified fibres. Paboco is in the midst of preparing for series production of the next generation of recyclable paper bottles, and it is also teaming up with ALPLA joint venture Blue Ocean Closures to create a market-ready paper bottle and fibre-based cap combination.

Technical Centers

ALPLA's seven Technical Centers, located in Shanghai (China), Bangkok (Thailand), Hyderabad (India), Hard (Austria), Atlanta (USA), Toluca (Mexico) and São Paulo (Brazil), serve as hubs of excellence for design and technology and form a global product development network. During product development, we work closely with our customers to ensure not only the fulfilment of technical requirements but also the optimisation of production processes to minimise energy consumption (electricity, compressed air) in subsequent series production. Our decades of experience, combined with a global network of experts and a high level of vertical integration, guarantee innovative and future-oriented product development at all ALPLA locations worldwide.

As a system provider for bottles and closures, and with its ALPLArecycling division, ALPLA covers numerous industries and markets. Our customer base spans international corporations and local businesses, with products covering applications such as beverages, food, dairy, cosmetics, household maintenance, motor oil, lubricants, pharmaceuticals and crop protection. PET and HDPE are our primary raw materials with a continuously increasing share of recycled raw materials. Since the majority of our products are single-use plastic packaging, we monitor relevant legislation to identify any business continuity risks in advance.

Founded in 1955 by Alwin and Helmuth Lehner as Alpenplastik Alwin Lehner GmbH in Hard (Vorarlberg, Austria), ALPLA remains deeply rooted in its original location and values as a family-owned business. Trust, respect and reliability are the cornerstones of our identity – values we extend to both our employees and customers. These principles are also reflected in our purpose: ‘Providing solutions for safe, affordable and sustainable living worldwide.’

Sustainability has been at the heart of ALPLA’s operations for decades and is embedded in our strategy and corporate culture. We actively collaborate with customers to enhance our products through initiatives like increasing recycled content, reducing material usage and improving energy efficiency. By continuously innovating, we strive to make a meaningful impact in sustainability while meeting the needs of our partners and communities. Our overall commitment to sustainability is reflected in our Sustainability Statement, covering guiding principles and related targets in relation to all sustainability topics material to ALPLA.

In December 2024, ALPLA was also named Austria’s leading innovator by the Austrian business magazine Trend and the market research company Statista. This recognition reflects the many innovative products developed recently, including the following: