News from St-Prex: Next phase of dismantling

14.10.2025: The Vetropack Group announced the closure of our St-Prex site on 14 May 2024, and production ceased the following month.

Since we announced the painful decision to close our St-Prex plant – the company’s last Swiss production facility – there have been some major changes on site. The cullet processing operation is still active, but the production equipment has been dismantled. All the machines from St-Prex have now embarked on a new phase of their operational lifetimes. Some have been sold, while others (such as the AIS machines) have been reallocated to various locations within the Vetropack Group in recent months. 

Many sites have benefited: Vetropack Chișinău has received a complete production line as well as inspection machines, and Vetropack Gostomel now has additional hot end equipment and inspection technology. Our Kremsmünster, Pöchlarn, and Boffalora plants are set to integrate all the moulds from St-Prex, together with additional equipment: these resources will be ready for immediate use after routine inspections.

St-Prex’s MSK shrink wrap machine has also been delivered to Pöchlarn. It will be integrated into the new Rezon production line, which we expect to be operational by the end of the year. 

As Site Manager Christian Schmutz points out: “We're very pleased that we were able to find optimal ways of re-using these assets, so the entire Group is able to benefit from the machinery.” 

Preparations are now underway in St-Prex for the final phase of dismantling the production facilities: the decommissioning of the furnace. Scheduled for 2026, this extensive process will take several months.

Despite Vetropack’s withdrawal from production in Switzerland, the home market remains crucially important for our Group. Vetropack is continuing to serve the Swiss market from its St-Prex location. Since 1 October, the Swiss logistics provider Camion-Transport has been managing the St-Prex warehouse, which serves as a depot for finished goods produced at other Vetropack locations. By taking on former Vetropack employees, Camion-Transport has retained valuable expertise to ensure a seamless transition. In this way, our partnership with Camion-Transport guarantees that Vetropack's customers in Switzerland will continue to benefit from efficient and reliable deliveries.

Vetropack remains committed to the recycling of used glass, and we take responsibility for a sustainable circular economy. The Group’s goal is to work with local authorities to develop a good solution for cullet processing by mid-2026, and then to launch the next phase of dismantling. Around 35 employees are currently working on site at St-Prex.