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Petainer systems like deposit return schemes, bottle collection rates frequently reach 98 percent. All of this collected material can be recycled and put back into new products. No doubt the majority of the readers of this interview will have drunk from bottles which contain recycled material.
“ The waste collection process involves working with suppliers who can take back these baled bottles, grind them up, and transform them into what we call flake or pellets. These materials are then supplied back to manufacturers like Petainer. In our case, we reintegrate them into our injection molding lines to create preforms with up to 100 percent recycled content with equal performance to a virgin plastic product. PET plastic makes everything lighter, which reduces energy use. In fact, some major organizations have shifted their entire sustainability marketing campaigns from glass to plastic because they recognize that the latter is a far more eco-friendly option.”
Petainer has made a significant contribution to the shift towards production of PET bottles using the waste stream generated by end-of-life bottles. Looking forward, this activity will continue.“ However, as in-market brands and market regulators recognize the carbon and cost benefits of reusable PET compared to heavier alternatives such as glass, we expect to see an expansion of the use of PET to more reusable solutions. Reusable PET is regarded as a leading sustainability solution by independent organizations such as the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, given its weight and durability advantages. Petainer is ready to help both its current and future customers in realizing the full potential of PET in the coming years as they constantly deliver on their ever more ambitious sustainability goals,” Hugh ends. ■
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