Omar Khalid
PET plastic is a common material used in soda bottles and other types of packaging. The cost of virgin PET is $0.50 - $1.50 per kilogram, while recycled PET costs $0.20 - $0.30 per kilogram. In 2006, it was estimated that 5.5 billion pounds of PET bottles and jars were sold in the US, which would cost around $4.5 billion to produce today. However, the cost of raw materials does not include the expense of operating bottle production plants. Despite the initial low cost of PET plastic, the cost of disposing of it in landfills can be high, with fees ranging from $10 a ton to over $100.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Virgin PET | $0.50 - $1.50 per kilogram |
| Recycled PET | $0.20 - $0.30 per kilogram |
| Mixed plastics PET | $0.06 - $0.08 per kilogram |
| Virgin plastic bottles and jars | $4.5 billion for 5.5 billion pounds of PET bottles and jars |
| Landfill tipping fees | $10 a ton to over $100 |
What You'll Learn
Virgin PET costs $0.50 - $1.50 per kilogram
PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, is a plastic commonly used in soda bottles and other types of packaging. It is lightweight, cheap, and can be moulded, which makes it a popular choice for the drinks industry. A soda bottle weighs about 12.5 grams, and one kilogram of PET can make 80 soda bottles.
However, the cost of making PET bottles and jars from virgin plastic is high. For example, making 5.5 billion pounds of PET bottles and jars would cost $4.5 billion just for the raw materials, without considering the cost of operating bottle production plants.
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Recycled PET costs $0.20 - $0.30 per kilogram
The cost of making PET bottles from virgin plastic is extremely high. For example, the raw materials for 5.5 billion pounds of PET bottles and jars would cost $4.5 billion.
Landfill tipping fees can also be expensive, ranging from $10 a ton to over $100. In 2005, about half a billion dollars worth of PET bottles went to landfills.
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Mixed plastics PET costs $0.06 - $0.08 per kilogram
PET is a plastic that is used in soda bottles and other types of packaging. It is cheap and lightweight, with a soda bottle weighing about 12.5 grams. One kilogram of PET can make 80 soda bottles.
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The cost of raw materials for PET bottles and jars
To put this into context, a soda bottle weighs about 12.5 grams, so one kilogram of PET can make 80 soda bottles. This means that the cost of the raw materials for a single soda bottle is about $0.0125 for virgin PET, $0.0075 for recycled PET, and $0.0015 for mixed plastics PET.
It is worth noting that the cost of raw materials is not the only factor to consider when discussing the cost of PET bottles and jars. The cost of recycling or disposing of plastic waste can also be significant. Landfill tipping fees, for example, can range from $10 a ton to over $100.
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Landfill tipping fees
The cost of virgin PET is $0.50 - 1.50 per kilogram, while recycled PET costs $0.20 - 0.30 per kilogram. However, the cost of making PET plastic is not just financial. The raw materials for making PET bottles and jars are expensive, and the process requires a lot of petroleum.
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Frequently asked questions
Virgin PET costs $0.50 - $1.50 per kilogram, recycled PET costs $0.20 - $0.30 per kilogram, and mixed plastics PET costs $0.06 - $0.08 per kilogram.
It is cheaper to recycle PET plastic than to make it from scratch. However, landfill tipping fees, the dumping tariffs levied to offset the cost of creating, maintaining and closing a landfill, can be quite expensive compared to recycling.
It would cost $4.5 billion just for the raw materials, without considering the cost of operating bottle production plants.
