PET and Sustainability           

LCI Study Press Releases (4/28 & 5/17/10, link to "News" page) LCI Report pdf file for download

Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) Report, April 2010: New study confirms that recycling plastics, specifically PET and HDPE, results in significant savings in energy and greenhouse gas emissions:  "Final Report — Life Cycle Inventory of 100% Postconsumer HDPE and PET Recycled Resin from Postconsumer Containers and Packaging."

LCI Report results show that for every pound of recycled PET flake used, energy use is reduced by 84%; greenhouse gas emissions by 71%. For more information and full scope of the study, see Report above; to view or download charts showing energy use and GHG impacts at various levels of rPET content, click here. 

Recycling Infrastructure: PET bottles are collected in over 20,000 recycling programs nationwide. In 2008, over 1.4 billion pounds of PET bottles and jars were collected and reprocessed for re-manufacture into new packages and products.

End Uses for Recycled PET:  Recycled PET can be used in the manufacture of new PET packaging, as well as in many other applications, including t-shirts and tote bags; apparel; carpets; strapping; car accessories; and fiberfill (for items such as pillows or sleeping bags). Click for some PET end-use examples. 

Lightweight Package: PET is a lightweight package so products packaged in PET can be packed and shipped efficiently. To maximize these efficiencies and use less plastic resin per package, PET packaging manufacturers continue to make their packages lighter when it’s possible to do so and maintain product integrity.  

PET BASICS: PET Features, Benefits & Information Resources Comprehensive Information about the PET Package JUST ADDED TO NAPCOR WEB SITE!  Please click image or title for pdf file suitable for viewing or download (5.4 MB). Document covers PET usage, properties, recycling, safety and more. All links throughout the document, including Table of Contents, are live in order to facilitate navigation, both within the document and to other sources of relevant information. We encourage you to take a few minutes to browse contents. Members In Action Here are some of the ways our NAPCOR Members are incorporating sustainability into their business practices, manufacturing systems, and product offerings. Eastman Chemical Company: http://www.eastman.com/Company/Sustainability/Pages/Introduction.aspx Global PET Inc: http://globalpetinc.com Krones, Inc: http://www.krones-enviro.com/index_en.html Nestle Waters North America: http://www.nestle-waters.com/environment Par-Pak Ltd: http://www.parpak.com/sustainability.htm Peninsula Packaging Company: http://www.penpack.net/Environmental.html

PET and Degradable Additives: 

Click for NAPCOR's press release on degradable additives (5/3/11), and for the Environmental Protection Agency's perspective on this issue, http://www.epa.gov/osw/wycd/catbook/debate.htm

Click the image below to link to a pdf of The Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR) degradable plastics fact sheet. Also see the newly released APR protocols for degradable additive testing (pertaining to PET recycling).

NAPCOR Position Statements on PLA, Degradable Additives, Export and More.