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Common questions about PET bottles and recycling

Updated

Below are five questions that come up often about polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles and rPET, or recycled PET, each answered from the sources listed at the end of this article.

What does it mean when PET is called 100 per cent recyclable?

Calling PET 100 per cent recyclable describes what the material can do: PET can go back into the recycling process in full and be turned into new raw material, provided the bottle is properly sorted, is not heavily contaminated and reaches a qualified recycling facility. NAPCOR, the PET packaging association in North America, states that PET is one of the most widely recycled plastics and that PET bottles can be recycled into packaging with up to 100 per cent recycled content. The phrase does not mean that every bottle, once used, will automatically be recycled in full.

For the material itself, and why it suits drinking-water bottles, see what PET is.

Does every PET bottle actually get recycled?

Not every bottle. Whether a used bottle is actually recycled depends on several factors, including how consumers separate their waste, the collection system, the condition of the bottle after use, contamination, the label, the cap, the colour of the bottle and the recycling capacity available in each area. TOMRA points out that labels and caps both count as contaminants, and that the more accurately material is sorted, the cleaner the stream that goes on to be recycled. Strictly speaking, then, a PET bottle is recyclable when it is properly sorted and handled.

Each stage, from collection to quality control and certification, is set out in how PET bottles are recycled.

What do recycled PET bottles become?

Post-consumer PET, meaning bottles that consumers have already used, can be turned into a range of materials and products: PET flakes, rPET resin, polyester fibres, plastic packaging and sheets, and various industrial products. Indorama Ventures explains that flakes from sorted, cleaned bottles can be melted into recycled resin and made into polyester fibres, and TOMRA notes that PET flakes can also go back into new bottles. What a given batch can become depends on the quality of the material and the standard of the recycling process.

The route from used bottle to new product is described in how PET bottles are recycled.

Can rPET be used for drinking-water bottles?

Yes, provided it is food-grade rPET that complies with the relevant requirements, as PTT Global Chemical (GC) states. Because rPET for food and drink packaging is in direct contact with its contents, it is held to stricter controls than recycled material for general use. The US Food and Drug Administration (US FDA) reviews case by case whether a recycling process produces plastic pure enough for food contact, and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assesses the safety of each recycling process. SD Thailand reported in March 2023 that the Thai Food and Drug Administration (Thai FDA) had certified food-grade rPET made by ENVICCO, and ENVICCO cites an EFSA safety assessment stating that rPET made from post-consumer PET by its recycling process can be used at up to 100 per cent in materials and articles for contact with all types of food.

P.A.S. Intergroup offers rPET bottles as an option, made with resin from ENVICCO, part of the GC group. The Thai FDA certification and the EFSA assessment are ENVICCO’s and cover its own resin and process. How rPET differs from virgin PET is explained in what rPET is and how it differs from virgin PET.

Why can rPET cost more than virgin PET?

rPET, and food-grade rPET in particular, can cost more than virgin PET because its price reflects the whole recycling system, not simply the value of used plastic. Used bottles have to be collected, sorted, cleared of labels, caps and residue, decontaminated and made into new resin, which must then be tested, certified and traceable to source. Food-grade rPET also needs advanced decontamination, in line with the guidance of regulators such as the US FDA and EFSA, and demand for it has risen as brands pursue sustainability goals.

Each of the six cost factors is explained in why rPET may cost more than virgin PET.

Sources