Alpla supplies international consumer goods brands and local customers with safe, affordable and sustainable plastic packaging solutions. With revenue of 5.2 billion euros (2024: 4.9 billion euros), the packaging and recycling specialist successfully closed the 2025 financial year. The number of employees rose to around 25,500 and the number of locations to 206.

CCO Nicolas Lehner attributes the stable development in the company's 70th year to long-term strategic decisions, targeted investments and risk-conscious planning, among other things: "Growth markets can turn, demand can fluctuate and costs can rise. We experienced this in 2025, particularly in the beverage market and in recycling - and it hit the entire industry hard. This makes it all the more important to have a clear plan and focus on customer benefits. We are consistently driving both forward at Alpla."

Upswing in America, Western Europe under pressure

Business developments in North and South America and the strong results in the extrusion blow molding (EBM) segment are positive. "The market is growing again and we are well prepared. We have taken the right steps to achieve this in recent years: We have increased our efficiency, cultivated relationships, diversified our offering and developed specialist staff," emphasizes Lehner. At the same time, margins are under pressure across the industry due to increased costs and weak demand, particularly in Western Europe.

Investments in sites and technologies, the development of the training system in the USA and the entry into South American recycling promoted the sustainable upswing. At a global level, the Alplainject 2025 injection molding division was strengthened by the addition of the six KM Packaging sites. Alplapharma has established itself on the pharmaceutical packaging market with a significantly increased presence. Alpla sees opportunities for the future in fiber-based solutions from Paboco and Blue Ocean Closures (BOC).

Pioneer for recycling

The Alplarecycling division can look back on a mixed year - not least due to regulatory processes in the EU and the ongoing price problem. "New material is many times cheaper than recycled material. While demand is falling and costs are rising, the risk of inferior imports from third countries is growing. If the EU does not take countermeasures, the PPWR will become an own goal," warns Lehner. Together with other industrial companies, Alpla is campaigning for fair conditions.

With new recycling targets for 2030, Alpla wants to continue to defend its pioneering role in the circular economy despite the challenges on the recycling market. Innovative projects such as the cooperation recently launched with NTCP in the Netherlands for the production of food-grade HDPE recycling material are setting the direction. The proportion of post-consumer recycled material (PCR) is to be increased to 30 percent by 2030. To this end, Alpla is expanding its currently installed and projected output capacity from 400,000 to 700,000 tons. From 2026, 15 million euros will flow into recycling every year.