What is Recycled RPET?	Download PDF Document - Click Icon
Bottles made of RPET (polyethylene terephthalate) are recycled to reuse the material out of which they are made and to reduce the amount of waste going to landfills.	Recycled RPET in Retail Packaging Plastic is widely used in packaging and includes containers, bottles, drums, trays, boxes, cups and vending packaging, baby products and protection packaging. However, using recycled plastic, specifically RPET (polyethylene terephthalate) in packaging can reduce the amount that ends up in landfill and substantially reduces CO2 emissions.Research shows that consumers prefer recycled content in packaging. Using RPET can also deliver compelling commercial, environmental and strategic benefits for suppliers and retailers alike, with proven technology and standards.

Recycled RPET in Retail Packaging continued...
WRAP hosted the UK's first RPET packaging conference in February 2007 in London. The day attracted more than 200 people from across the whole industry sector. The conference, called 'The Opportunity for Recycled RPET in Retail Packaging' was aimed that those involved in the manufacturer, supply, retailing and recycling of RPET packaging. It featured talks from leading organisations such as The Coca Cola Company, Marks & Spencer, the Food Standards Agency, Nextek, Recoup and WRAP WRAP has received support from prominent companies such as Coca-Cola, Marks & Spencer, and Boots, to research more uses for Recycled RPET. The study met with positive results, with the material meeting safety standards for use in beverage and cosmetic packaging. These companies have promised to incorporate Recycled RPET into future manufacturing. Consumers are impressed - according to Marks & Spencer, 85% of its surveyed customers claimed that the company's initiatives made them happier to shop at the store. The European Union has been more aggressive in RPET recycling legislation. In 2001, all EU countries were required to meet a 15% plastic packaging recycling target, and in 2008 it will increase to 22.5%.	Because of the recyclability of RPET and the relative abundance of post-consumer waste in the form of bottles, RPET is rapidly gaining market share as a carpet fiber. Leading the way, Mohawk Industries released everSTRAND in 1999, a 100% post-consumer recycled content RPET fiber. Since that time, more than 17 billion bottles have been recycled into carpet fiber.[2] Pharr Yarns, a supplier to numerous carpet manufacturers including Looptex, Dobbs Mills, and Berkshire Flooring,[3] produces a BCF (bulk continuous filament) RPET carpet fiber containing a minimum of 25% post-consumer recycled content. RPET, as with many plastics, is also an excellent candidate for thermal disposal (incineration), as it is composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, with only trace amounts of catalyst elements (but no sulfur). RPET has the energy content of soft coal.

History of RPET
In the late 1970s forward-thinking companies found the means to transform recycled RPET into many useful products - the most common being packaging (such as new bottles) and fiber (carpet and other textile) applications. Other companies followed suit, and by the late 1990s were finding uses for over 1/2 billion pounds of recycled RPET per year. Products made of Recycled RPET include blankets, belts, shoes, insulation, and even car parts.	Recycled RPET Lifecycle
	RPET is recycled after consumption. After consumer recyclables have been collected and sorted by type at recycling centers, RPET products are crushed, pressed into bales, shredded, and refined into RPET flakes. These flakes are transformed into the raw materials that innovative companies transform into new products. The difference between virgin RPET and Recycled RPET is indistinguishable. A study by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) determined that consumers could not tell the difference between products made of recycled material, and the environmental benefits of Recycled RPET are phenomenal. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 2/3 less energy is required to manufacture products made out of recyclable plastic. Other studies show that the production of recycled plastic requires 2/3 less of sulphur dioxide, 50% less of nitrous oxide, and almost 90% less water usage.
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Why Recycled makes sense PET

Approximately 31% of plastic bottles produced in the United States are made from a material called PolyEthylene Terephtalate, "PET" or "PETE." Usually clear or green, the plastic is mostly used for consumer goods such as soda bottles and food jars. According to the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR), in 2005 United States manufacturers produced 5.075 billion pounds of PET products. Such a high production rate makes finding uses for post-consumer plastics imperative. If the current rate of manufacturing and consumer recycling remains, 40 billion pounds of PET waste will be added to our landfills within only a decade.

Background

In the late 1970s, only a few years after PET entered the United States marketplace, forward-thinking companies found the means to transform recycled PET into many useful products - the most common being packaging (such as new bottles) and fiber (carpet and other textile) applications. Other companies followed suit, and by the late 1990s were finding uses for over 1/2 billion pounds of recycled PET per year. Products made of Recycled PET include blankets, belts, shoes, insulation, and even car parts.

In 1987 the Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI) labeled PET with resin code "#1" and created the easily recognizable "chasing arrows" symbol so that consumers would know that products made from this material were recyclable.

Recycled PET Lifecycle

PET is recycled after consumption. After consumer recyclables have been collected and sorted by type at recycling centers, PET products are crushed, pressed into bales, shredded, and refined into PET flakes. These flakes are transformed into the raw materials that innovative companies transform into new products.

The difference between virgin PET and Recycled PET is indistinguishable. A study by the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) determined that consumers could not tell the difference between products made of recycled material, and the environmental benefits of Recycled PET are phenomenal. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 2/3 less energy is required to manufacture products made out of recyclable plastic. Other studies show that the production of recycled plastic requires 2/3 less of sulphur dioxide, 50% less of nitrous oxide, and almost 90% less water usage.

What's Next

Most Recycled PET has been used for non-food and non-beverage related products, but some companies are pushing for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to more readily approve the use of post-consumer PET for food packaging.

WRAP has received support from prominent companies such as Coca-Cola, Marks & Spencer, and Boots (a UK cosmetics company), to research more uses for Recycled PET. The study met with positive results, with the material meeting safety standards for use in beverage and cosmetic packaging. These companies have promised to incorporate Recycled PET into future manufacturing. Consumers are impressed - according to Marks & Spencer, 85% of its surveyed customers claimed that the company's initiatives made them happier to shop at the store.

Even if other manufacturers aren't socially and environmentally motivated to reduce their own impact on the environment, consumer sentiment may sway them in the right direction. As demand increases, and as new applications for Recycled PET are discovered, the marketplace will foster more incentives for consumers to recycle PET. As of 2005, 23.1% of the 5.075 billion tons of PET produced in the U.S. were collected for recycling. This percentage will likely grow as consumers become more educated and more countries adopt legislation to use the SPI's easily recognizable "chasing arrows" symbol for PET bottles so that consumers find it easier to know how to recycle them.

Some U.S. states have already implemented financial incentives for consumers to bring in plastic bottles for recycling, and others have encouraged "curbside" collection to make recycling easier for the average citizen. In addition, progressive consumers and companies will encourage efforts for the plastics industry to design products in ways that make them more efficient and cheaper to recycle.

The European Union has been more aggressive in PET recycling legislation. In 2001, all EU countries were required to meet a 15% plastic packaging recycling target, and in 2008 it will increase to 22.5%.

Next Generation PET & More

Part of our ongoing mission is to incorporate truly sustainable fabrics into our innovative line of reusable shopping bags. From Next Generation PET to Recycled Cotton, stay tuned for exciting new products made from the most eco-friendly fabrics on the market.
 

Materials
We’ve done our research to ensure this material is made from recycled plastic bottles – so you can be sure you’re getting a sustainable shopping bag. Unlike cheaper versions of recycled PET, our Next Generation Recycled PET fabric, blended with nylon, is as beautiful & strong as it is sustainable. Using recycled PET is smart - it cuts down on waste & minimizes damage to the environment by conserving oil, energy & non-renewable resources. In the U.S. alone, over 45 billion plastic containers ended up in landfills in 2006.