EU PET recyclers suffer lower input qualities

The average yield of the PET recyclers has decreased from 73% to 68% since 2011. This is caused by a number of factors. Firstly, bottles are getting thinner. This has an impact on higher moisture content in bales and thinner flakes have more probability to get discarded during the recycling process.
Secondly, the market for PET products has grown beyond the conventional bottle and as a result this waste stream is getting more complex. Lastly, the collection systems did not adapt to the changes of the PET waste stream. Products such as opaque PET bottles and PET trays are entering mostly the coloured PET bales (News Item Plastics Recyclers Europe, 17 July 2017).
Click here for the news item.
Click here for more information about the NVC Project PUMA: the end of packaging as an environmental issue. You are welcome to join us for the next project meeting on 4 April 2018.

This news item is also included in our monthly overview, the NVC Members-only Update. If you have any questions, please contact us: info@nvc.nl, +31-(0)182-512411.