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PET plastic bottles don’t belong in the bin. They’re made from Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a very sophisticated material that is 100% recyclable. PET is the type of rigid plastic labelled with the 1 code on or near the bottom of bottles and containers.
It is commonly used as beverage bottles for carbonated soft drinks, bottled water, milk, juice, sports and energy drinks, jars, punnets, tubs and trays for food items, bottles for household, personal care and pharmaceutical products, and sheet and film for packaging.
Did you know that PET bottles are made of one of the few polymers that can be recycled into the same form – a new beverage bottle – again, neatly closing the recycling loop?
Recycled PET can be also be used to make many new products, including polyester staple fibre or filament used for clothing, home textiles, car parts, carpets, insulation, geotextiles, roof insulation and even new PET packaging.
Aside from decreasing the need for raw materials and saving energy and carbon, PET recycling leads to job creation in the waste management, product development, manufacturing and marketing sectors.
We recycled 1.5 billion bottles in 2014, that’s 4 million PET bottles daily! Currently 44 000 informal waste pickers make a living from bottle collection in our country. View “The Story of the PETCO People” which gives a snapshot of how collection of PET is changing the lives of many.
Saying plastic bottles are not trash is an understatement. Look for the stamp on the bottom of the bottle and you’ll be sure that what you’re holding has far more value recycled than in the ground.
Please recycle your PET, it’s too valuable to waste.
Visit www.petco.co.za or www.mywaste.co.za to find the closest collection point to drop off your PET for recycling.
