Recycled PET: 10 facts about rPET

The little r makes all the difference. rPET is the drinks bottle innovation that everyone is talking about. What does the acronym mean? And why is rPET so important for a functional circular economy that makes packaging more sustainable? Read on to find out.

1. What is rPET?

The PET-Recycling Switzerland (PRS) association calls it “the superlative recyclate”. rPET stands for recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET). It is a food-safe raw material made from empty PET packaging that has been collected and prepared for recycling. To put it simply: new bottles are made from old ones – they are part of a closed material cycle. This is what recycling is really about. 

2. How is rPET made?

The PET from packaging that is returned by consumers is sorted, cleaned and shredded to produce flakes. These flakes are melted to make small PET preforms that are then inflated into a bottle by Production and filled. 

3. What are the advantages of rPET?

The higher the proportion of rPET, the better it is for the environment. But why? Compared to new PET, manufacturing bottles from rPET requires only half of the energy, and results in a five-fold reduction in CO₂ emissions. According to Swiss Climate, rPET is 75% more environmentally friendly than PET, and has a much better overall ecological balance than glass.  

4. What is the connection between rPET and the circular economy?

In order to achieve the goal of having a circular economy, we need to reuse as many items of packaging as possible in the form of rPET while also reducing the amount of material used for packaging. For example, Coca-Cola HBC Switzerland was able to reduce the weight of 450-milliliter bottles from 22.7 to 19.5 grams. The same applies to every rPET drinks bottle: reduce, recycle, reuse. 

5. How much rPET does Coca-Cola HBC Switzerland use?

The PET bottles for VALSER have been produced from 100% rPET since autumn 2019. We were the first Swiss drinks manufacturer to achieve this goal. The average amount of rPET used for packaging across the full range of beverages is already over 57%. This means that more than half of the material we use is recycled. And this number will rise to over 63% by 2021, one of the best figures of any drinks company in Switzerland and across the globe. By means of comparison, the national average for PET bottles currently is around 40%. 

In 2020, we used 4,111 tonnes of rPET, saving a total of 12,268 tonnes of CO₂.

6. Is it possible to use more rPET in future?

In the EU, PET drinks bottles must consist of at least 25% rPET by 2025 and 30% by 2030. In Switzerland, we reach this milestone four years early. We are constantly working on reducing the weight of our packaging and further optimising the composition of our packaging materials.

7. Are there any differences between PET and rPET?

rPET is a little darker than “new PET”, and, due to its characteristics, it is more difficult to process. However, it has absolutely no effect on taste and quality. 

8. How often can PET be recycled?

In theory, it can be recycled an infinite number of times. Only contaminants from the recycling process can prevent PET from being reused, as contaminated rPET cannot be guaranteed to be food safe.

The rPET used for drinks bottles meets the very highest hygiene standards and is food safe.

9. Does rPET have any drawbacks?

rPET is in high demand, and is therefore currently more expensive than standard PET. It is also only possible to produce rPET if enough consumers return their used bottles.
 

Fortunately, the discipline of Swiss citizens really helps in this respect: with more than 56,000 collection points across the country, the recycling rate is over 83%. In 2019, 48,388 tonnes of PET were collected and used to make 24,492 tonnes of rPET. 

10. Are other packaging materials more sustainable than rPET?

Every packaging material has its pros and cons when it comes to sustainability. PET is a good compromise between low weight and good product protection. Because lightweight packaging requires less material, and also has a positive effect on transport. At the same time, good packing protects the beverages and ensures their shelf life, meaning they do not have to be disposed of unused.

Whether it’s made from glass, aluminium or PET, the more times packaging is reused, the more it helps the environment. This is why recycling is essential for sustainability.