Alexei Volkov
PET plastic, or polyethylene terephthalate, is a highly recyclable material used in food packaging and beverage bottles. Despite its recyclability, a lack of access to recycling systems and low participation among consumers and businesses means that PET plastic often ends up in landfills or is incinerated. However, there are companies and initiatives that are working to improve the circularity of PET and increase recycling rates. For example, Pet Supplies Plus has partnered with TerraCycle to offer a free in-store recycling program for pet food and treat bags, and Texan by Nature has launched a pilot program in El Paso that provides monetary incentives for recycling PET thermoforms.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Companies that accept PET plastic for recycling | Pet Supplies Plus, Dasani, Fiji, Nestlé Pure Life, Sam's Club, Michael J. Sandoval, Paul Bahou, Verdeco, Evergreen, Clearpathrecycling, Polyquest, Plastrec, NAPCOR, The Alliance for PET Thermoform Recycling |
| Types of PET plastic accepted for recycling | Bottles for various products (shampoo, salad dressing, water, and soda), PET thermoforms, food packaging, PET flakes, PET pellets |
| Locations that accept PET plastic for recycling | United States: curbside recycling, El Paso, Texas, City of El Paso, participating Pet Supplies Plus stores, participating locations of Pet Supplies Plus stores |
| Preparation required before recycling PET plastic | Remove non-plastic waste, ensure PET plastic is clean and dry, remove as much remaining product as possible |
| Benefits of recycling PET plastic | Reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills or oceans, reduces the need for oil to create virgin plastics, has a lower carbon footprint than virgin PET |
| Challenges of recycling PET plastic | Consumer confusion about what types of PET plastic can be recycled, lack of access to recycling systems, low participation among consumers and businesses, thermoformed PET plastic is not widely accepted or processed successfully |
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What You'll Learn
Pet food packaging recycling programs
Another prominent initiative is the Pet Supplies Plus Recycling Program, which has partnered with TerraCycle® to offer a free and inclusive recycling solution. This program accepts flexible plastic pet food, treat, and litter bag packaging from all brands and across all species of pets. Participants can conveniently drop off their empty bags at dedicated collection bins located inside participating Pet Supplies Plus stores. It is important to ensure that the bags are dry and that as much of the remaining product has been removed as possible before dropping them off.
All The Best Pet Care also offers a recycling program in collaboration with TerraCycle. They encourage customers to return clean, empty pet food bags with the TerraCycle symbol, such as Nulo Challenger and Open Farm bags, to their stores for recycling. Additionally, they provide a Tag Back program for recycling Elasti Tag bands found on products like Kathmandu Chews.
These programs play a crucial role in diverting waste from landfills and oceans, reducing the environmental impact of the pet food industry, and promoting a more sustainable future. By participating in these initiatives, individuals can make a positive difference and contribute to global recycling efforts.
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PET recycling rates and challenges
PET plastic is one of the most commonly used packaging materials in the world due to its performance qualities and highly recyclable nature. It is also extremely light and can be squeezed into small bales, reducing the emissions associated with transport. Despite this, PET recycling rates remain relatively low, with a complex interplay of factors influencing this.
One significant hurdle is the limited infrastructure for PET collection and recycling, creating barriers to accessibility for consumers. This lack of convenient and widespread recycling facilities results in a substantial portion of PET ending up in landfills. According to McKinsey & Company, approximately 27% of PET bottles are collected in the US, but only 18% are recycled, with the rest ending up in landfills. In Europe, the deposit schemes for PET bottles have an average recovery rate of 86%.
The complexity of sorting various forms and colours of PET presents another challenge for recycling facilities. This intricacy increases processing costs and discourages investments in advanced recycling technologies. For instance, coloured PET bottles are only useful to the particular manufacturer that uses that colour, impacting the financial viability of recycling such materials. The presence of non-PET materials can also compromise the quality of recycled PET, affecting its usability for manufacturing new products.
To address these challenges, increased investment in recycling, consumer education, and industry initiatives are needed to foster more sustainable alternatives. New laws and brand commitments will also play a role in improving PET recycling rates.
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How to recycle PET plastic
Polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, is a type of plastic that is widely used in packaging, especially for food and drinks. It is highly recyclable, but it cannot be recycled infinitely like glass or metal. Its quality declines each time it is recycled, so new plastic needs to be added to keep recycling it.
Recycling PET plastic can be done through mechanical or chemical processes. Mechanical recycling involves grinding the PET into flakes, melting it, and then turning it into recycled PET (rPET) that can be used for new packaging. Chemical recycling, on the other hand, breaks down the plastic into its monomers, which can then be used as building blocks for new materials. This process is more complex and resource-intensive but may be necessary for PET that has been contaminated by non-plastic waste or other plastics.
To recycle PET plastic, you can typically dispose of it in a recycling bin, take it to a collection centre, or return it to a retailer that offers a take-back scheme. Some countries and municipalities have deposit schemes in place, where you pay a fee that can be redeemed when you return the bottle. In the EU, these schemes have an average recovery rate of 86%. In the US, most consumers have access to curbside recycling, where a waste hauler brings the recycled material to a Material Recovery Facility (MRF) for further sorting and processing.
Once collected, the PET bottles are sorted by colour and type of plastic, and then compressed into bales. These bales are then sent to recycling plants where they are processed into rPET. The bottles are ground into small crushed flakes, which are then melted and turned into new products. rPET is safe for use in food packaging and has been approved by agencies and governments worldwide. It is used for bottled water, oil, vinegar, milk, shampoo, and more.
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Companies that buy post-consumer PET
PET plastic, or polyethylene terephthalate, is one of the most commonly used plastic packaging materials in the world due to its performance qualities and highly recyclable nature. Its low melting temperature makes it easy and sustainable to turn PET packaging into more PET packaging in a closed loop.
PET bottles are collected, cleaned, and processed into recycled PET (rPET) or recycled polyethylene terephthalate, which is ready to be turned back into packaging. rPET is safe for use in food packaging and has been approved by agencies and governments worldwide. It is also used to create fabrics for items such as seat belts, bags, carpets, roofing insulation, and clothing.
Some companies that purchase post-consumer PET include:
- TerraCycle, a global waste management company operating in 21 countries, has partnered with Pet Supplies Plus to offer a free recycling program for all brands of pet food, treat, and litter bag packaging.
- Dasani, Fiji, and Nestlé Pure Life are bottled water companies that produce bottles using 100% rPET.
- Many bottled water companies, oil, vinegar, milk, and shampoo manufacturers also purchase PET for their packaging.
Additionally, some countries have deposit schemes for PET bottles, where consumers can take their bottles and place them into a container for recycling. These deposit schemes have an average recovery rate of 86% in the EU.
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Incentives for recycling PET
PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, is one of the most commonly used plastic packaging materials in the world. It is highly recyclable, with recycled PET (rPET) having a carbon footprint 79% lower than its virgin counterpart. Despite this, less than 29% of single-use PET beverage bottles are recycled in the United States. This is due to the sensitivity of conventional recycling technologies to impurities or cross-contamination with other plastics.
To address this issue, several incentives have been implemented to increase the recycling of PET:
Deposit Schemes
Some countries have legislated a deposit for packaging, including PET bottles, which has led to an average recovery rate of 86% in the EU.
Curbside Recycling
Most consumers in the United States have access to curbside recycling, where recycled materials are collected and taken to material recovery facilities (MRFs) for further separation and processing.
Partnerships with Brands and Communities
The PET Recycling Coalition, for example, works with brands, communities, recyclers, and plastic manufacturers to improve the circularity of PET. They aim to increase PET bottle recycling rates, boost curbside recycling access for non-bottle PET materials, and ensure community participation through awareness and education.
Enzyme-based Recycling Technology
Scientists have developed an enzyme-based recycling technology that can break down PET into its basic chemical building blocks, enabling infinite recyclability. This technology reduces energy use by up to 83% and slashes greenhouse gas emissions by almost half, providing a powerful economic incentive for cleaning up our oceans and landfills.
Free Recycling Programs
Some companies, such as Pet Supplies Plus in partnership with TerraCycle®, offer free recycling programs for all brands of pet food, treat, and litter bag packaging. These programs provide convenient drop-off locations for consumers and help keep plastic out of landfills and oceans.
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Frequently asked questions
PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate, a type of clear plastic that is strong, lightweight, and widely used for food packaging.
PET plastic is commonly used for beverage bottles, as well as for packaging products like oil, vinegar, milk, shampoo, salad dressing, and soda bottles.
Look for the #1 symbol on the plastic packaging to identify it as PET.
Recycled PET (rPET) is used to create new products, such as food-grade packaging, fabrics for clothing and carpets, and even new PET packaging.
Many curbside recycling programs accept PET plastic bottles. Additionally, some companies, like Pet Supplies Plus, offer in-store recycling programs for PET plastic. In certain areas, like El Paso, Texas, there are incentives and monetary rewards for recycling PET.
