PETrecycling CZ is non-commercial, independent, free & unsponsored Czech web portal for funs, communities, administrative, law-makers, politicians, PET plastic industry etc. in the Czech Republic.

My closing statement read: "There is only one real effective and incentive method to encourage environmentally sound collecting of beverage one-way containers and it is deposit in combination with High-Tech R&D resulted Reverse Vending Machines!"

Richard Hall
Use of recycled PET

The PETrecycling.cz assessment based on R&D up-to-day results is, that it should be made clear, that all beverage containers, e.g. PET bottles, ALU cans and glass bottles, that are commercially imported into Czech Republic or sold here should be included in return systems with deposits - to encourage the consumers to take the bottles back

"If something can be simplified, that’s the route I’d wish to take. My simple view of PET has been this. Oil is a finite and brilliant but polluting resource. PET is a fantastic product from oil and 100% recyclable, so the solution is to maximise recycling and the use of recycled material, ideally to 100%. But that may be too simplistic."

"We had a brief debate about this at our UK Soft Drinks Industry Conference last week. Various companies have used 100% recycled PET for their products in the past few years. Among the pioneers were GlaxoSmithKline and Innocent in Britain, as well as Naya in Canada."

"In the past few days, I’ve come across Britain’s Silver Spring using 55% rPET for Perfectly Clear sparkling flavoured water and Belgium’s Spadel opting for 50% rPET in its relaunched Spa Reine. 25% rPET is becoming the new aspirational standard for many companies and 10% rPET the gesture of others who may be having difficulties obtaining sufficient supplies. What then is the ideal?"

"At our conference, 25% was being held out to be a sustainable optimum. It was suggested that 100% rPET can only be used (in bottles at least) a few times before it becomes too brittle. I’m an economist, not a technical person. I’d genuinely welcome other views."

Richard Hall is chairman of Zenith International. You can also read his blog at BevBlog.

Petcore Comment

A bottle made from 100% RPET would not be more brittle than one made from 100% virgin PET.

The "rule of thumb" is determined by aesthetics.

Recycled PET will have gone through a number of heat treatments that will result in a slight yellowing of the polymer. Also traces of eg glues or additives may contribute to a colour change and possible haze.

At 25% (with 75% virgin PET) this slight yellowing will not be detectable by the naked eye. At 50% RPET content the bottle would show a slight yellow tinge. At 100% RPET the bottle may not have acceptable aesthetics when filled with a colourless liquid.

Author: Richard Hall is chairman of Zenith International.