Tackling Complex Feedstock Challenges: BoReTech's 8.5 t/h Food-Grade PET Washing Line Operating Successfully in Pakistan

Tackling Complex Feedstock Challenges: BoReTech's 8.5 t/h Food-Grade PET Washing Line Operating Successfully in Pakistan

BoReTech's 8.5 tonnes-per-hour PET bottle washing line supplied to Ismail Resin Pvt. Ltd. has entered stable operation at the company's recycling facility in Port Qasim, Karachi, with yield exceeding the design target, providing a reliable supply of high-quality recycled PET flakes for its new bottle-to-bottle PET recycling project.

The project marks an important step in Ismail's continued expansion into the recycled PET sector and reflects its broader commitment to sustainability and the development of a circular plastics economy in Pakistan.

The line processes post-consumer PET bottles through label separation, crushing and washing to produce high-purity recycled PET flakes suitable for direct food-contact applications after downstream pelletizing and SSP. With a single-line processing capacity exceeding 8 t/h, the project is among the high-capacity PET bottle washing installations currently operating in Pakistan.

For large-scale bottle-to-bottle recycling projects, maintaining stable label separation and product cleanliness at high throughput is a key requirement for the front-end washing process. Based on the feedstock characteristics of the Ismail project, BoReTech developed a customized process configuration.

The Bale Breaker is designed to handle oversized and elongated bottle bales, improving de-baling efficiency and ensuring stable material feeding to downstream processes. The new-generation Mega Aspirator enhances label separation efficiency, helping reduce PVC label contamination in the final PET flakes to a consistently low level.

Zeeshan, Deputy Manager of Engineering at the Ismail plant, said that the new-generation Mega Aspirator delivered a significant improvement in label separation efficiency after being put into operation, and expressed satisfaction with its actual performance.

For bottle-to-bottle applications, recycling technology must deliver not only high throughput but also consistent product quality and stringent control of contaminants.

In 2023, BoReTech obtained an FDA No Objection Letter (NOL) covering the complete washing, pelletizing and SSP process. In July 2025, BoReTech obtained a further FDA NOL for its SSP process. In November 2025, BoReTech's brtCOMBIPET pelletizing and SSP combination process received a Positive Scientific Opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).

These international recognitions, together with BoReTech's extensive experience in food-grade PET recycling projects, provide a strong technical foundation for large-scale Bottle-to-Bottle applications.

In recent years, Pakistan has continued to strengthen plastic waste management and recycling systems. The Single-use Plastics (Prohibition) Regulations 2023 require producers, importers and beverage manufacturers to establish collection systems for single-use plastic waste and assume corresponding collection responsibilities, providing a policy foundation for the development of plastic recycling systems.

At the same time, Pakistan's recycling sector is actively promoting green financing, investment in recycling infrastructure and the formalization of waste collection systems. Consumer-oriented recycling incentive programs are also emerging, encouraging public participation in PET bottle collection through economic incentives.

Across South Asia, the PET recycling market also offers significant development potential. According to the World Bank, plastics account for approximately 8% of solid waste in South Asia, while PET is among the plastic polymers with relatively high recycling potential in the region. Annual PET beverage bottle consumption in South Asia is approximately 1.546 million tonnes. With rising PET consumption, improving recycling infrastructure and growing demand for food-grade rPET, the regional PET bottle recycling market is creating new opportunities.

Beyond Pakistan, BoReTech has accumulated extensive PET recycling project experience in South Asian markets including India and Bangladesh, working with industry companies such as Reliance, JB ECO and Indorama.

From PET bottle washing and food-grade rPET production to Bottle-to-Bottle recycling, South Asia is gradually developing a more complete PET circular value chain. The stable operation of ISMAIL's 8.5 t/h food-grade PET washing line further demonstrates BoReTech's project execution capabilities in the South Asian market.

As investment in recycling infrastructure and demand for food-grade rPET continue to grow, the South Asian PET recycling market is entering a new phase of development. BoReTech will continue to leverage its proven PET recycling technologies, extensive regional project experience and growing service capabilities to work with industry partners, promote higher-value recycling of post-consumer PET and support the development of a more efficient circular economy in South Asia.