Niagara Bottling Acquires California Recycling Facility for Bottle-to-Bottle Production

Niagara Bottling is breathing new life into California's recycling infrastructure with the acquisition of a first-of-its-kind, 305,000-square-foot recycling and packaging facility in Vernon, Los Angeles County, positioning the family-owned beverage manufacturer as one of the few US companies operating a complete bottle-to-bottle recycling process.


The facility, previously operated by rPlanet Earth before shuttering in September 2025, was purchased from rPlanet Earth Los Angeles Holdings and rPlanet Earth Los Angeles. Along with the acquisition, Niagara obtained the rPlanet Earth brand, signaling its commitment to advancing circular economy solutions in the beverage industry.


Investing in equipment:

"We're proud to bring this facility back to life and become one of the few companies in the country with a true bottle-to-bottle process," said Rali Sanderson, president of Niagara Bottling. "As part of this work, we're investing in new equipment so we can turn recyclable plastic materials into new bottles, right here in California. This restores a vital recycling operation for the community, making sure even more plastic containers are recycled and get a second life."


Through this strategic acquisition, Niagara plans to enhance its recycling capabilities by sorting, cleaning, and reprocessing PET materials into high-quality recycled PET (rPET) flakes and pellets. These materials will then be manufactured into packaging for Niagara products, significantly reducing reliance on virgin plastics and advancing the company's circularity goals.

The rPlanet Earth facility stands out as a state-of-the-art recycling operation capable of processing B-bales—mixed materials from curbside recycling bins that are notoriously complicated and difficult to process. This capability arrives at a critical time, as PET surpassed aluminum as the most recycled material in California last year. The facility will provide domestic circularity in California for Niagara and its customers, keeping materials within a closed-loop system.


Expanding beverage manufacturing footprint

Adding the rPlanet Earth facility to its operations allows Niagara to expand its beverage manufacturing footprint while pursuing vertical integration. As a family-owned company operating since 1963, Niagara has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability and packaging innovation, including reducing plastic in its caps, bottles, and labels by 70% over the last 30 years through lightweighting initiatives and introducing label-free bottles in the US.


"Niagara's commitment to producer responsibility will help ensure that literally billions of PET containers returned for recycling by California consumers will make their way back into new containers, reducing pollution and reliance on fossil fuels, while creating jobs and economic growth," said Mark Murray, Executive Director of Californians Against Waste. "More than a feel-good slogan or green label, Niagara is making a tangible investment in California's closed-loop recycling economy.


The facility will undergo phased restoration to become fully operational and integrated into Niagara's network. The company has already filled several positions and plans to hire 60 team members total, including many from the former rPlanet Earth operation. Initially, the facility is expected to produce 45 million pounds of rPET annually for use in Niagara products. Notably, Niagara was the first bottling manufacturer in North America to achieve TRUE Zero Waste Certification.


source : Plastics Today

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