rPET: Recycled and Recyclable
What is rPET?
Polyethylene terephthalate - or PET - is the most widely used plastic in the world. It has a low carbon footprint, it is light-weight, durable, resilient, affordable, is an exceptional moisture barrier and unparalleled in preserving shelf-life.
Recycled PET - or rPET - provides all these same advantages with the additional benefit of being both 100% recycled and 100% recyclable. This creates a closed-loop system where not only is less plastic being disposed of in the environment, but less virgin plastic is being introduced to the market, too.
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Why not use an alternative to plastic?
Plastic is essential to packaging some products, but rPET provides many environmental benefits, too, which means it may be preferable for many reasons:​
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rPET has a lower carbon footprint than biodegradable alternatives (and is also lighter, lowering fuel and CO2 emissions).
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Biodegradable alternatives don't address existing plastic in the system or utilise that PET is the most widely recycled plastic in the world.
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rPET can be recycled when it comes into contact food, which biodegradable alternatives cannot - essentially making them single-use.
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When non-recyclable, biodegradable alternatives are recycled they contaminate the entire batch, preventing necessary recycling.
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When left to decompose, biodegradable alternatives can release 70% more air pollution and 50 times more water pollution than plastic, including the greenhouse gas methane.
rPET: Specifications and Applicaions
