The Post Consumer PET recycling in Europe 2011 and Prospects to 2016 study, published on Friday (July 13), says that more than 1.59 million tonnes of PET bottles were collected across the 27 EU Member States, as well as Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey, a collection rate of 51%.
This means that the capture rate for PET bottles has gone up by almost three percentage points compared to 2010, when 1.45 million tonnes (48.3%) were collected.
However, the report predicts that the continent has a total capacity to process around 1.9 million tonnes, meaning that there is potential for a significant rise in the number of bottles that are captured.
Roberto Bertaggia, chairman of Petcore, said: I am delighted that the PET collection rate has broken the 50% barrier in Europe. The extra 140 Kilo tonnes collected in 2011 represent a further 5.6 billion bottles to be recycled. The PET industry chain has worked with compliance agencies, national bodies and European recyclers to achieve the record collection of nearly 1.6 Million tonnes of PET bottles. We pledge to continue to develop and promote PETs recyclability.
UK
While there is no directly comparable data for the UK available, the figures would suggest that the UK is broadly the same as Europe-wide the average PET bottle recycling rate, with plastics recycling body Recoup estimating that the UKs overall recycling rate for plastic bottles – which includes HDPE as well as PET – reached 48.5% in 2010, having increased only 3.5% from the previous year (see letsrecycle.com story).
Casper van den Dungen, chairman of the EuPR PET Working Group, said: Capacity utilisation of our recycling plants is only 77% at present. This provides the challenge for municipalities, other collectors and industry to increase the current collection rate even further to load the recycling facilities already in place. Nevertheless, the new developments in PET collection must not jeopardise the sound, well-established and most recycled plastic: The PET bottle.
Recycled PET is a reliable and sought-after feedstock in the PET value chain and sustainable, long life uses are being developed to utilise the growing supply of recycled PET. Whether PET bottles are recycled into another bottle, fibre, sheet, strapping tape or one of the new applications the energy saving will be significant.
This sustainable growth reflects the expectations of consumers who themselves are an important part of the recycle chain. They show they understand that every PET bottle is a valuable resource by disposing of them responsibly.”
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