An executive at recycled fiber producer SAYA explains why a lack of RPET supply poses a challenge for his industry, and he proposes steps to help address the supply-demand gap. | Natali Ximich/Shutterstock
As consumers’ appetite for recycled polyester products grows, the industry is facing an unintended consequence: There may not be enough plastic available for recycling to meet the demand.
Several technologies for processing post-consumer PET into food and drink packaging have been approved. | srisakorn wonglakorn/Shutterstock
A food-safety panel approved 17 applications to use Starlinger, SML and Protec technologies to recycle post-consumer PET into food and drink packaging. It rejected two other requests.
California regulators will provide incentive payments to curbside recycling programs producing PET bales with less than 2% contamination. | RecycleMan/Shutterstock
California officials will provide payments of up to $180 per ton to recycling facilities that limit contamination in PET bales to 2% or less.
Amcor designed a 50-milliliter PET bottle that collapses to be wider than five centimeters, helping to prevent it falling through sorting screens at materials recovery facilities (MRFs). | Courtesy of Amcor Rigid Packaging
One of the world’s largest packaging producers boosted its purchases of post-consumer resin by about 30% last year.
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Direct Pack Inc. recycles PET bottles and thermoform bales from materials recovery facilities (MRFs). | Courtesy of Direct Pack Inc.
A packaging manufacturer will build a PET recycling operation adjacent to a thermoforming plant on the Mexican side of the U.S.-Mexico border.
Data shows that in 2020 PET bottles notched a 26.6% collection rate in the U.S., down from 27.9% in 2019. | Torychemistry/Shutterstock
Demand for RPET increased 10% in 2020, but it was accompanied by a decrease in PET bottle collection, according to an annual report from the National Association for PET Container Resources.
Data from California shows some major beverage producers used lower percentages of post-consumer resin in 2020 than they did in 2019. | tezzstock / Shutterstock
The clock is ticking on California’s law mandating recycled plastic in drink bottles, and some beverage producers still have a long way to go, newly released data reveals.
Beverage brand owner PepsiCo announced a goal to package all Pepsi-branded drinks in the U.S. in 100% RPET bottles by 2030. | New Africa / Shutterstock
PepsiCo unveiled new goals for using more recycled PET and reducing its virgin plastic use in coming years.
