Irplast BOPP Expansion Adds 30,000-Tonne Atessa Line
Irplast BOPP Expansion Adds 30,000-Tonne Atessa Line
Irplast has completed the installation of a new biaxially oriented polypropylene film line at its Atessa production site in Italy. The Irplast BOPP expansion will add approximately 30,000 tonnes of annual capacity for specialty films used in recyclable polypropylene-based packaging structures.
The line is scheduled to be officially inaugurated on 15 September 2026. It uses LISIM simultaneous-stretching technology supplied by German machinery manufacturer Brückner Maschinenbau, according to reporting published on 4 August by Polimerica and an Irplast press-office announcement.
What the new Atessa line will produce
The installation is designed to manufacture high-performance BOPP films for multilayer packaging structures composed predominantly of polypropylene.
Using compatible materials from the same polymer family can make a package easier to process through suitable recycling systems than structures combining unrelated plastics or materials. Actual recyclability, however, still depends on the complete package—including coatings, inks, adhesives and closures—and on the collection and recycling infrastructure available in each market.
The new capacity is aimed at packaging applications that must combine recyclability objectives with practical requirements such as dimensional stability, clarity, barrier performance and efficient processing on converting equipment.
Why LISIM technology matters
Conventional film production stretches polypropylene in separate machine and transverse directions. LISIM technology stretches the film in both directions simultaneously, allowing manufacturers to adjust its properties for demanding applications.
The process can support films with strong dimensional stability and controlled shrinkage. These characteristics are important when BOPP is used in printed, coated or laminated packaging that must perform consistently during conversion, filling and distribution.
Toppan has previously said Irplast’s simultaneous-stretching expertise can contribute to thinner films and help maintain barrier performance. Its acquisition announcement also identified packaging, labels and printed adhesive tapes as important applications for the company’s BOPP portfolio.
Part of an investment plan exceeding €60 million
The Atessa project forms part of an industrial investment programme exceeding €60 million. Irplast has directed the programme toward production growth, technological development and stronger access to international markets.
The company operates three Italian manufacturing facilities: one in Empoli, in Tuscany, and two in Atessa, in Abruzzo. It employs approximately 380 people.
Irplast reported revenue of about €102 million in 2024. Exports represented roughly 75% of sales, with products supplied to more than 70 countries.
These figures help explain the strategic role of the additional capacity. The investment gives Irplast more room to serve international converters and packaging producers seeking specialty films at commercial scale. Irplast BOPP expansion
Expansion under Toppan ownership
Irplast became part of Japan’s Toppan Group in 2025. Through its Indian subsidiary Toppan Speciality Films, Toppan acquired an 80% interest in the Italian business, while Irplast’s management retained the remaining 20%.
The official Toppan announcement described the acquisition as a way to combine Irplast’s high-performance film expertise with Toppan’s international packaging and materials operations.
Irplast’s European manufacturing base and specialty-film knowledge complement Toppan’s broader geographic reach. The Atessa line is therefore both a local capacity investment and an addition to the group’s global BOPP platform.
Supporting the shift toward recyclable packaging
Irplast says the project is consistent with the direction of the European Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation, or PPWR.
Regulation (EU) 2025/40 introduces common requirements intended to improve packaging recyclability, reduce waste and encourage greater circularity across the EU market. Its implementation is expected to influence how brand owners, converters and material suppliers design future packaging structures.
Polypropylene mono-material designs are one route the flexible-packaging sector is exploring. They can reduce the complexity created when different material families are combined, provided that the completed package satisfies the relevant design-for-recycling criteria.
What the investment means for the market
The new line gives Irplast additional capacity in a segment where regulatory demands and packaging performance must be addressed together. Its significance goes beyond higher output: it expands the supply of specialty BOPP films engineered for packaging structures that seek to balance technical performance with improved recycling compatibility.
For Atessa, the project also reinforces the production site’s position within Irplast and the wider Toppan Group. The inauguration planned for September will mark the transition from installation to the line’s next industrial phase.
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