Niagara Bottling has acquired a former recycling and packaging facility in California from rPlanet Earth. The move is part of a larger plan to expand its recycled PET operations.
The site in Vernon covers more than 305 000 square feet. It has remained idle since rPlanet Earth shut down in September 2025. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed. The agreement also includes the rPlanet Earth packaging brand.
Mixed bales no problem
According to Niagara, the site can process difficult ‘B-bales’ collected from mixed kerbside recycling. This is becoming increasingly important as PET overtook aluminium as California’s most recycled material last year.
Once fully operational, the plant is expected to produce around 20 500 tonnes of recycled PET annually for Niagara’s packaging applications. The company also plans to employ roughly 60 people at the site, including former rPlanet Earth workers.
Backing bottle-to-bottle
Niagara plans to sort, clean and process PET plastics into recycled flakes and pellets at the Vernon site. Recovered material will then be used in packaging for Niagara beverage products.
Niagara’s president Rali Sanderson says the company also plans to install additional processing equipment as the facility restarts in phases.
She is eager to restore an ‘important’ recycling operation in California. ‘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.’
Market pressures continue
The closure of rPlanet Earth last year drew widespread attention across the North American plastics recycling sector. At the time, the company represented roughly 5% of US recycled PET capacity. It supplied thermoform trays and PET packaging materials to the market.
Industry group Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR) previously describes the closure as a warning sign for policymakers. It argues that recyclers face mounting pressure from cheap virgin plastics and lower-cost imported recycled materials. At the same time, some brands are reportedly reducing commitments to domestically sourced recycled content.
APR warned that the US risks following Europe, where plastics recycling facilities have closed under similar market conditions.
Boosting domestic infrastructure
Niagara’s investment comes as interest grows in local recycling infrastructure and reducing reliance on imported recycled plastics. Sanderson believes the acquisition will strengthen Niagara’s vertical integration strategy while boosting domestic recycling capacity.
The company, founded in 1963, also operates bottling facilities across Mexico, Australia and the UK.
According to APR, around 90% of plastics collected across North America are processed within the US or Canada. The region currently recycles approximately 2.3 million tonnes of plastics each year.
We included rPlanetEarth in our US West Coast special. Read it here >>
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