Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Plastics News
  • Plastics News China
SustainablePlasticsFINAL
Subscribe
  • Login
  • SUBSCRIBE
  • News
    • Recycling
    • Sustainability
    • Bioplastics
    • Technology & Materials
    • Regenyx-recycling-main_i.jpg
      AmSty, Agilyx to develop chemical recycling site in Louisiana
      Maia Corbitt-fixed-main_i.jpg
      PET sector backs unusual Texas recycling plan
      Nova Chemicals introduces three new 100% PE-PCR resins
      Versalis launches food packaging tray made with post-consumer polystyrene
    • Fishy solutions
      Getting to GRIPS with landfill plastics
      Regenyx-recycling-main_i.jpg
      AmSty, Agilyx to develop chemical recycling site in Louisiana
      Maia Corbitt-fixed-main_i.jpg
      PET sector backs unusual Texas recycling plan
    • Avantium reaches milestone for FDCA flagship plant with Resilux commitment
      Mass balanced bio-based polyolefins from Loparex achieve ISCC Plus certification
      Danimer Scientific to invest $700 million in expansion Georgia facility
      Novamont, Iren sign circular bioeconomy agreement
    • Injection Moulding
    • Blow Moulding
    • Extrusion
    • Thermoforming
    • 3D printing
    • Technology
    • Materials
    • Machinery
  • Opinion
    • View Point
    • Getting to GRIPS with landfill plastics
      EuPC says exemptions to the SUP Directive are not the way forward
      PHA: As green as it gets
      Opinion: The future of sustainable plastic
  • Events
    • Our Exhibitions
    • Plastics Industry Awards (PIA)
    • Ask the Expert
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Reifenhäuser Technologies Livestreams
    • Plastics News Europe Live Archives
    • Plastics Recycling Show Europe
  • Prices & Resources
    • Polymer Prices
    • Data Reports
    • White Papers
  • Contact
    • Advertise
    • Media Pack
  • Subscribe
  • Digital magazine
    • Digital Magazine
  • Multimedia
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
July 18, 2017 07:00 AM

PET recyclers feeling pinch of poor quality input

Plastic News Europe
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    PET waste stream is becoming more heterogeneous

    European PET recyclers have seen the average bale yield drop from 73% to 68% in the years since 2011, due to the decrease in the quality of the baled PET.

    Not only has this led to substantially higher costs, recyclers must also discard more material to achieve good quality recycled PET.

    Various factors have contributed to the steadily worsening yield. 

    The bottles being baled has become increasingly thinner, causing the moisture content of the bales to rise. The thinner flakes from these bottles are also more likely to be discarded during the recycling process.

    Moreover, the PET waste stream is becoming more heterogeneous; non-bottles now make up some 18% of this stream and this fraction is set to grow, plus, today, opaque PET bottles and PET trays are entering the coloured PET bales.

    Even though PET is the most widely recycled plastic, the various stakeholders should work on eco-design of PET products to improve its recyclability, said Casper van den Dungen, PRE Vice-President and Chairman of the PET Working Group. 

    “Most importantly, the EPR schemes must urgently upgrade their sorting requirements to safeguard the proven quality of recycled PET from bottle stream and strongly support the developing of new dedicated streams for opaque PET bottles and PET trays,” he added. 

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Sustainable Plastics' news delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    SUBSCRIBE
    Sustainable Plastics Media Kit Cover

    Subscriptions to Sustainable Plastics, the leading Pan-European magazine for the circular plastics industry.

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    "In a changing world, Sustainable Plastics is a constant: a platform the plastics industry can rely on to deliver the news and knowhow impacting the industry going forward”

    SustainablePlasticsFINAL
    Contact Us

    11 Ironmonger Lane, EC2V 8EY
    United Kingdom 
     

    Customer Service:
    1-313-446-0450

    [email protected]

     

    Resources
    • Advertise
    • Sitemap
    • Careers
    • Subscribe
    Affiliates
    • Plastics News
    • Plastics News China
    • LSR World
    • Urethanes Technology
    • Tire Business
    • Rubber & Plastics News
    • Automotive News
    • Automotive News Europe
    • Crain Publications
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Recycling
      • Sustainability
      • Bioplastics
      • Technology & Materials
        • Injection Moulding
        • Blow Moulding
        • Extrusion
        • Thermoforming
        • 3D printing
        • Technology
        • Materials
        • Machinery
    • Opinion
      • View Point
    • Events
      • Our Exhibitions
        • Plastics Recycling Show Europe
      • Plastics Industry Awards (PIA)
      • Ask the Expert
      • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Reifenhäuser Technologies Livestreams
      • Plastics News Europe Live Archives
    • Prices & Resources
      • Polymer Prices
      • Data Reports
      • White Papers
    • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Media Pack
    • Subscribe
    • Digital magazine
      • Digital Magazine
    • Multimedia