RPET – Recycled PET

rPET’s full name is “recycled polyethylene terephthalate”, also known as recycled PET. In domestic and commercial settings, consumers will already be familiar with PET as it’s a recyclable material used for plastic bottles and food jars. The process of recycling PET involves the collecting and sorting of the original materials which are then refined into pellets. These pellets can then be turned into new products such as insulation, car parts, shopping bags and fabric.

Rejuvenating PET products using this method can have a huge impact on the amount of plastic sent to landfill. There are currently national campaigns underway to increase the amount of plastic that’s recycled, yet, at last count, less than half of the plastic bottles purchased in a year go to recycling facilities. As businesses grapple with the ecological repercussions of this, innovative ways of using rPET in products are on the rise. As processes become more streamlined, the costs to businesses and consumers will reduce and make rPET even more attractive in an eco-friendly world.

Plastics remain problematic for the environment. It’s good to note, however, that creating a new water bottle from 100% rPET requires 75% less energy that creating a bottle from PET. In this sense, fewer resources are required to manufacture it and that protects the landscape while reducing carbon emissions. Recycling PET and creating something entirely new is therefore a tangible way of making use of the plastic mountain than we hear about every day.

The textile industry is embracing rPET in various ways. The polyester fabric that can be created from rPET has vastly reduced carbon footprints to other types of fabric. For instance, this footprint is 90% less than nylon, 75% less than virgin polyester, and 50% less than organic cotton. The possibilities for rPET within the textile industry depend as much upon commitment to eco-friendly practices as they do the technology to streamline and improve rPET processes.