Sustainability is crucial in modern business, with companies striving to create eco-friendly products. Recycled PET (r-PET) offers a green alternative to virgin plastic.
What is r-PET?
r-PET, or recycled polyethylene terephthalate, is sourced from post-consumer recycling. Varieties differ in purity and color, high stiffness, break-resistance, and heat stability.
PET Recycling Process:
- Collection and Sorting: Initial sorting of PET waste.
- Washing: PET is washed and processed into flakes.
- Melting and Granulating: Flakes are melted into granulate for reuse.
- Advanced Processing (SSP): Enhances intrinsic viscosity for specific applications.
Properties of Recycled PET:
- Color and Transparency: Varied color; advanced sorting can produce clear r-PET.
- Molecular Weight: Tailored through processes like SSP.
- Purity: High standards ensure minimal contamination.
- Recycled PET offers very similar technical properties to virgin PET
- Products made using recycled PET can still be classified as food grade
- It is easily collected in domestic recycling and can be recycled several times with stable quality
- It can be recycled again in the same stream as virgin PET
- Recycled PET uses less resources and less energy to produce than virgin PET
Quality Control in Production:
Regular testing ensures the purity and compliance of recycled PET. Certifications like Global Recycled Standard (GRS) and Ocean Bound Plastic (OBP) guarantee adherence to stringent standards.
Food-Safe r-PET:
Compliant with FDA and EFSA regulations, r-PET is suitable for products in direct contact with food.
Advantages and Challenges:
- Eco-Benefits: Reduces virgin raw material use, lowers CO2 emissions.
- Applications: Packaging, textiles, electronics, and more.
- Challenges: Ensuring purity and managing varied sources.
Bottle-to-Bottle Recycling:
High-quality, food-grade r-PET is produced from old bottles through efficient processes like URRC and Starlinger.