PET: why it’s NOT a single use plastic!
PET is light, strong and safe.
PET is the only plastic that can recycled bottle-to-bottle in a closed loop.
Not all paper packaging is the same – the cardboard boxes used to transport heavy furniture differ gtly from the thin paper bags we grab our morning pastries in.
If we know this about paper, then why do we still think that all plastic packaging is the same?
PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, has distinct properties that make it different from other types of plastic. It is lightweight and highly recyclable, meaning that placing it in the same ‘single use’ category as non-recyclable plastic products does not reflect the material’s actual properties.
PET has undergone rigorous safety testing and is approved internationally for contact with food and drink. These qualities have led to its widespread adoption, with 40% of beverage packaging worldwide made from PET in 2018. PET is also made into trays for packaging products such as meats, fruits, and baked goods.
Why PET isn’t like other plastics
PET is unique in its durable, versatile, and recyclable nature. Products made with recycled PET can include up to 100% recycled content, making it a promising material for use in Europe’s circular economy.
In 2022, 75% of PET bottles were sorted for recycling in Europe. These figures are encouraging, but more work needs to be done for the EU to achieve its goal of 90% collection for recycling by 2029 (ICIS, 2024).
Industry efforts to support recycling, sustainability, and circularity
The industry has been working towards a more sustainable future for packaging for years. We are investing heavily in deposit return schemes (DRS) and recycling infrastructure across Europe.
Significant technological advancements are optimising PET’s design for recycling (DFR), making it even more circular. These include dissolvable label adhesives, label-free bottles, and monomaterial packaging with PET caps (ICIS, 2024). Additionally, PET bottles are now 40% lighter than in 2000, reducing the amount of plastic needed to package food or drink and the amount of fuel required for transportation.
What is the most sustainable packaging material?
The products we buy are full of labels claiming be ‘reusable’, ‘recyclable’, ‘sustainable’, or ‘made with recycled materials’. Knowing what this actually means is complicated, and trying to identify truly sustainable options is difficult.
Although the ‘most’ sustainable choice is to avoid any packaging, this is not practical on a day-to-day basis: delicate and perishable items like meat and berries must come with some kind of protection, and bottled drinks remain a necessity for communities without safe drinking water. This leaves consumers with the choosing largely between glass, aluminium, paper, and plastic packaging for food and drink products. Let’s take a look at how they compare:
PET’s low melting point means it requires less energy to produce than glass and aluminium, and its lightweight nature reduces fuel use during transport. A peer-reviewed study by the American Chemical Society found that in 15 of 16 applications (including packaging) plastic products had lower greenhouse gas emissions than non-plastic alternatives (ACS, 2024).
There is no ‘perfect’ packaging, and much like anything else, our choices come with trade-offs. However, PET plastic is a highly researched material whose low emissions relative to other packaging products and high recyclability have led to its widespread popularity across Europe as a safe, versatile choice.