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.
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
