Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Bottle‐to‐Bottle Recycling for the Beverage Industry: A Review
Issued Date
2022-06-01
Resource Type
eISSN
20734360
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85132244821
Journal Title
Polymers
Volume
14
Issue
12
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Polymers Vol.14 No.12 (2022)
Suggested Citation
Benyathiar P., Kumar P., Carpenter G., Brace J., Mishra D.K. Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Bottle‐to‐Bottle Recycling for the Beverage Industry: A Review. Polymers Vol.14 No.12 (2022). doi:10.3390/polym14122366 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/20.500.14594/84187
Title
Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) Bottle‐to‐Bottle Recycling for the Beverage Industry: A Review
Author(s)
Author's Affiliation
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
Disposal of plastic waste has become a widely discussed issue, due to the potential environmental impact of improper waste disposal. Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging accounted for 44.7% of single‐serve beverage packaging in the US in 2021, and 12% of global solid waste. A strategic solution is needed to manage plastic packaging solid waste. Major beverage manufacturers have pledged to reduce their environmental footprint by taking steps towards a sustainable future. The PET bottle has several properties that make it an environmentally friendly choice. The PET bottle has good barrier properties as its single‐layer, mono‐material composition allows it to be more easily recycled. Compared to glass, the PET bottle is lightweight and has a lower carbon footprint in production and transportation. With modern advancements to decontamination processes in the recycling of post‐consumer recycled PET (rPET or PCR), it has become a safe material for reuse as beverage packaging. It has been 30 years since the FDA first began certifying PCR PET production processes as compliant for production of food contact PCR PET, for application within the United States. This article provides an overview of PET bottle‐to‐bottle recycling and guidance for beverage manufacturers looking to advance goals for sustainability.