Petcore Publishes Annual Stats for PET Recycling

Petcore announced that European post-sorting PET collection reached 1.26m metric tons last year, an increase of more than 11 percent on 2007.

The overall collection rate in 2008 rose by nearly 5 percent, from over 41 percent to 46 percent, of all PET bottles on the market.

The overall share of fibers as an end use for recycled PET decreased from 47 percent to 45 percent, although the tonnage processed continued to grow. The sheet market tonnage fell slightly to 22 percent. Blow molding continued to grow, with more than 20 percent going to this outlet in 2008. The tonnage used in strapping increased strongly again in 2008 to use more than 11 percent of the total flake.

Exports to the Far East rose to nearly 17 percent of collected PET and the tonnage exported increased by 20 percent. A relatively small amount of baled PET bottles (<2 percent) was imported from outside the area.

Of the collected bales that were reprocessed in Europe, only 75 percent was usable PET. The remainder consisted of caps and labels, residues and other contamination such as foreign materials and other polymers. The continuing program of light weighting means that the caps and labels form a greater proportion by weight of the whole PET package.

“I am very pleased with the high rate of PET recycle in Europe in spite of the economic downturn. The Collection Agencies, National Bodies, European Recyclers and the PET Industry Chain are to be congratulated on their work. Recycled PET has become a reliable and sought-after feedstock in the PET value chain.” said Roberto Bertaggia, chairman of the Petcore Board.

Bertaggia added that it should be recognized that PET will be the most important packaging polymer in contributing towards achieving the plastics targets in the Waste Framework Directive. This mandates that there should be 50 percent recycling or reuse of plastics from household streams by 2020.

Going forward, Petcore’s task will be to ensure that the growth in PET recycling continues such that it remains an important mainstay in meeting this future recycle legislation as well as the sustainability expectations of consumers.