Why do we use PET in our food contact packaging?
PET is one of the most sustainable packaging materials in the world. It is the material that offers the greatest guarantees in terms of food safety and extending shelf life. Lightweight, versatile, durable and easy to use, this unique resource offers a whole series of benefits for consumers and the environment.
PET is a material that stands out for its recyclability.
PET bottles are made to be remanufactured. They are easily recycled and collected in large quantities, making PET the most recycled plastic packaging material in Europe.
PET can be used in a closed cycle (recycling from bottle to bottle). In Europe, 2 out of 3 bottles are currently recycled. In addition, PET can include up to 100% recycled content, and recycled PET products generate up to 75% less greenhouse gases than glass or aluminum beverage packaging.
Legislative changes, from the linear economy to the Circular Economy.
The European Union, through the European Circular Economy Strategy for plastics, has set a goal for all plastic packaging to be 100% recyclable, and in a profitable manner.
As of 2025 PET packaging intended for sensitive contents will have to contain at least 25% recycled material.
These percentages will rise to 30% in 2030 and 50% in 2040. In the case of bottles, the percentage will be 30% in 2030 and 65% in 2040.
Are these recycling targets imposed by the European Union achievable?
Of course! Thanks to significant investments, the companies that operate in the mechanical recycling industry in Europe boast a recycling capacity of between 10 – 12 billion bottles per year.
At Formaspack, we are proud to be pioneers in the use of recycled PET, cooperating every day towards a better society. Less dependence on fossil fuels, less CO2 generated, less food waste, and more safety.
PET as a sustainable material.
R-PET is one of the most in-demand sustainable solutions. Its decontamination and cleaning processes, endorsed by EFSA, make PET the only recycled polymer suitable for contact with food.
Although it is true that PET is 100% recyclable, in the past it has lost properties with each recycling process, with this hampering its true circularity. At Formaspack we have overcome this challenge by developing an innovative system that not only recycles PET, but improves it.
We make a complete PET recycling cycle possible, giving it new lives and new uses, thereby contributing to reducing greenhouse gases and waste.
We need to rethink our approach to plastic. We invite you to download this infographic on PET, which we have adapted from the one put out by Petcore Europe, created to explain the advantages of PET, as part of its Communication Campaign to defend the reputation of the PET industry in Europe.
The data included corresponds to the European market in 2022.
Access the original source here.
Access the original infographic here.
“Our goal is for all packaging to last a lifetime, offering customized packaging and sheet solutions that recover and exploit PET waste in a completely circular way.”
Ana Sastre, CEO de Formaspack.