Can plastic be recycled? This is a question that is of particular importance to business owners who are looking to adapt a more eco-friendly recycling model. It is also a crucial question when it comes to considering the level of plastic pollution that ends up in the ocean every year. Alarmingly, according to the latest figures, up to 12.7 million tonnes of plastic waste enters the ocean every year.
Despite having a poor reputation in the recycling arena, there are types of plastic that are highly recyclable and Polyethene terephthalate (PET) is a key example of this.
What is PET?
PET is a form of polyester and it is created through the combination of two monomers. These are purified terephthalic acid and ethylene glycol. It was originally synthesised in America back in the 1940s by chemists working for Dupont.
A PET bottle or virtually any PET product will always be labelled with a number 1 code near or on the bottom. However, bottles are not the only products that are made from PET. The material is used for everything from frozen food packaging to cosmetics and household cleaners. It is also used to package bakery goods, peanut butter and the list goes on.
Why is this material so popular? Aside from being highly recyclable, PET is widely known for being transparent, having thermo-stability and being extremely strong. All this makes it ideal for any packaging producer. It is also lightweight, inexpensive and shatter-resistant.
PET Plastic Bottles
If you are not mindful of your consumption, you could quite easily amass a large amount of PET plastic bottles in your business waste without noticing it. Therefore, it is extremely welcome news that all PET plastic bottles can be recycled. This is one of the reasons why soft drinks companies now favour PET bottles. Aside from this, these products have also been redesigned so that they are lighter. This guarantees that they are not created with as much plastic, whilst businesses continue to work on the designs of PET plastic bottles to ensure that they are also easier to recycle.
A PET bottle made from recycled PET material is even favoured by the public and potentially, your customers. BPF Plastics and Flexible Packaging group completed a survey on UK consumer trends in packaging. They discovered that the UK public favoured PET bottles. Indeed, these were ranked as the most practical, most convenient and the most versatile plastic. This shows that PET products are widely recognised as an ideal choice. However, it is still important to ensure that the PET products that end up in your commercial waste are recycled the right way. Unfortunately, many businesses are still dumping this product into landfills, which is such a missed opportunity for any business model. By recycling PET bottles, businesses can save money and highlight the importance of embracing the opportunities available on the market to go green.
What is Recycled PET Material?
Recycled PET material is known as RPET. It is worth noting that this is the most widely recycled plastic on a global level. The recycling rate in the EU is 52%, although the rate has dropped significantly lately. Approximately 1.8 billion pounds of PET was recycled during 2015.
Recycled PET material can be used for a wide range of different products. This includes athletic shoes, luggage, sheet film, car parts, fresh PET containers and fabrics that are used to produce t-shirts.
Recycled PET material is also typically used instead of virgin resin. This is a fantastic option as it does result in lower levels of energy being consumed and a reduced cost overall. As such, it is a popular choice for our clients and companies in general.
How Can PET Be Recycled?
We can recycle your business PET waste products and ensured that it is used to create recycled PET material. We strive to ensure that our process is efficient and effective, helping your company reduce your eco-footprint.
To do this, we grind PET material that you provide into particles that are known as “flakes.” It is important that flake purity is ensured to guarantee the high value of the plastic which is reclaimed. We are experts at ensuring this is the case and can guarantee that the value of your recycled materials is effectively preserved.
Further treatment will be used to separate PET from foreign residues with innovative techniques including air classification. After this process is complete, we ensure that any lingering contaminants are then removed, before proceeding to repurpose the product as a manufactured material. We can also use techniques like melt filtering for a higher level of purification.
Why Should You Recycle Your PET Products?
Customers are becoming more wary about which businesses they buy from. They want to make sure that they are choosing companies that are helping rather than adding to the environmental issues that we are facing today. There is a constant push on businesses to significantly reduce their carbon footprint. PET recycling will allow you to do this. By helping create PET recycled products, you can show that your company is willing to go green and take the necessary steps. You won’t be alone but you will be one of the businesses leading the charge. There is also a high level of demand for PET recycled products. For instance, Coca Cola is aiming to use 50% recycled PET for their products by 2030.
Here at Plastic Expert we are striving to ensure that we increase our levels of efficiency when processing products and providing the recycled PET materials that businesses demand.
Aside from this, you will also find that with our support recycling your PET products is simple. We will take the waste off your hands and ensure that it is dealt with in an eco-friendly manner, You will be able to ensure that you take the right steps for a greener tomorrow.
If you would like to learn more about the solution that we provide, please make sure that you contact us today. We can offer more information about our PET recycling process and highlight why we are the right business for your needs.
