Hera Group, one of Italy’s largest multi-utilities, is expanding its operations in waste management and plastics recycling. The group announced the signing of a binding agreement under which its Polish subsidiary Aliplast Polska will acquire a 70% stake in Kronos Polymer Polska, a new entity to be spun off from Kronos Polymer, a Polish company active in polyethylene recycling and processing. According to the company, the transaction is part of a strategy aimed at increasing Aliplast’s production capacity to more than 210,000 tonnes per year of high-quality recycled plastic raw materials. The acquisition is expected to be finalised by the end of 2026, subject to standard conditions precedent, including completion of the spin-off and transfer of environmental permits.
Kronos Polymer operates at a newly built industrial site in Gniew, in the Pomerania region of Poland. The facility was completed at the end of 2022 and has been operating since the first quarter of 2023. The plant is located about 300 kilometres from Aliplast Polska’s branch in Tuszyn. The new company covered by the transaction is to take over a facility equipped with a complete polyethylene sorting, grinding and washing line, with an installed production capacity of 12,000 tonnes per year. According to Hera Group, this will enable Aliplast to gradually expand in the local market as well, carry out recycling and regeneration directly on site, and optimise material flows and logistics.
Aliplast Chief Executive Officer Michele Petrone, centre, with the founders of Kronos Polymer and Aliplast Purchasing Director Roberto Rupolo, first on the right.
Expansion of recycling capacity within the group
The company states that the acquisition of a stake in Kronos Polymer Polska, together with other projects currently under way, is intended to strengthen existing industrial synergies within Hera Group. These projects include a rigid plastics recycling plant in Modena and a new PE-LD recycling plant in Borgolavezzaro near Novara. As a result, Aliplast is expected to increase its operational flexibility in recycling and double its capacity to more than 210,000 tonnes per year.
These activities are in line with the group’s business plan to 2029. According to the company, Aliplast is continuing a development path based on increasing production capacity, also in foreign markets, a growing focus on the quality and traceability of recycled material, and the development of specialised expertise tailored to the needs of the European market. The company also points to leveraging its presence in countries such as France and Spain.
The role of regulatory changes
Hera Group points out that the expansion of recycling capacity is gaining additional importance in the current regulatory environment. The statement refers to the PPWR Regulation, which entered into force in February 2025 and will become mandatory in all European Union Member States from 12 August 2026. The regulation introduces new European rules for the design, production and management of packaging waste, with the aim of reducing environmental impact and supporting the circular economy. According to the company, this means the entire packaging supply chain must be reviewed, including from a structural perspective.
For Kronos Polymer, a company with strong roots in Poland, cooperation with Aliplast, and more broadly with Hera Group, is intended to provide an opportunity for further development of industrial experience and advanced know-how. At the same time, closing the transaction remains subject to the fulfilment of specific formal and regulatory conditions.
Comment from Aliplast management
Michele Petrone, Chief Executive Officer of Aliplast, commented: "This transaction will allow us to further increase Aliplast’s production capacity, in line with Hera Group’s strategy, which sees resource regeneration as one of its fundamental pillars. The launch of the process that will lead to the acquisition of a majority stake in the new company Kronos Polymer Polska is also in line with the parent company’s business plan, which provides for continued growth in the waste services value chain through the expansion of target markets. Strengthening our presence in Poland, where Aliplast’s branch has already been operating for some time, will allow us to capture the promising growth in demand for recycled plastics in this country."
