Bottles Can Hurt the Environment

Since the 1970s, people who care about the environment and the health of our planet have been worried about how to dispose of plastic once it's been used. Today, huge numbers of water bottles are thrown away every day worldwide, and it can take up to 700 years for just one plastic bottle to break down in a process called biodegrading, which is also the process that happens when a piece of fruit rots. These bottles fill up our landfills, and we need landfill space to bury trash that can't be recycled. Throwing away plastic also hurts the environment in other ways. As plastic decays, it can give off chemicals that get into our water and air and can make people, plants, and animals sick. To solve these problems, people have worked together to develop a process to recycle plastic bottles and convert them into RPET material, then make useful items such as glasses clothes, soft pouch and new plastic glasses cases.

WHAT IS RPET PLASTIC

RPET stands for recycled polyethylene terephthalate, or recycled PET. PET (polyethylene terephthalate) itself is a polymer used to widely manufacture affordable, durable and recyclable containers and packaging as well as a form of polyester. PET containers are identified by a #1 code on the bottom. By converting post consumer waste into a valuable resource, RPET excels in the sustainability compartment compared to virgin PET bottles.

The use of RPET plastic is on the rise as a result of its low carbon footprint (saving raw materials by requiring less energy), recyclability (reducing waste), and strong environmental credentials. As more and more brands continue to adopt the use of RPET, we are setting a standard where RPET is routinely used instead of regular PET bottles.

LIFE AFTER THE RECYCLING BIN

When PET packaging is recycled/discarded by the consumer, it becomes PET waste. The PET waste then makes it way to a material recovery facility (MRF) where it is sorted from other materials, baled, and sent to specific PET recycling facilities. At these new facilities,each bottle is washed and contaminants are removed.

The bottles then get sorted according to color and are ground into flakes or made into pellets. These flakes and pellets are then sold as raw material that can be used for a range of polyester products (clothing, carpets, insulation, etc) or made back into PET bottles that can be recycled again and again.