Consumers are hungry for sustainable food choices, and packaging is an important part of food products’ environmental impact. Now, more and more food companies are turning to rPET packaging for a more environmentally conscious alternative.
rPET is one of the most commonly used recycled materials around the globe. Due to its food-safe nature, desirable aesthetic qualities, and inherent durability, rPET is a popular choice for food packaging, where it can help improve sustainability while ensuring a quality experience for the consumer.
In the article, we define rPET, compare it to non-recycled PET, and explain the practical benefits that make this material such a popular choice for food packaging (and beyond). As we explore below, rPET has a key role to play in reducing waste, carbon emissions, and resource consumption from food packaging.
What is rPET?
rPET refers to recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The lowercase “r” is a common indicator of recycled material for a variety of the most common recycled plastics.
PET is one of the most popular forms of plastic used in applications ranging from electronics to water bottles, and rPET describes forms of the material made from post-consumer resins reprocessed from consumer products. You can explore how plastics like rPET are manufactured into products like food packaging using the thermoforming process here.
An rPET product may incorporate varying percentages of recycled material and non-recycled “virgin” plastic. Even the inclusion of 10 to 20% recycled material can have meaningful benefits for sustainability, while some products may employ a mix as high as 100%.
Because PET is one of the most common plastic materials across the globe, incorporating rPET in products is a great way to reduce waste, improve sustainability, and contribute to a more circular economy. That’s why more and more businesses choose rPET for applications like consumer goods, textiles, and food packaging, among many others.
How Is PET Recycled?
The recycling process for PET involves several stages.
- PET products are collected and sorted.
- Recycled products are cleaned to remove any contaminants before being ground.
- Rough ground material is remelted in polymer pellets.
- Pellets are ready to be remelted for use in new products such as rPET food packaging.
While this recycling process consumes some energy, manufacturing rPET is far less resource-intensive than virgin PET (see below).
Can rPET Material Be Recycled?
Yes, in general, rPET can be recycled just like regular virgin PET. Over time, this means products made from rPET may be repurposed into new materials, contributing to “closing the loop” in recycling to achieve a circular economy.
Repeated recycling may lead to discolored or reduced clarity material that is not suitable for all applications. While research in this area is still in progress, today’s technologies are likely to lead to the degradation of polymer quality after multiple recycles.
rPET Plastic vs. PET Plastic
Aside from the addition of a percentage of recycled material, rPET offers very similar properties to its non-recycled version:
- Equivalent strength and durability
- Lightweight, flexible, and shatter-proof
- A transparent appearance, well-suited to showcasing products.
- Safe for use in food packaging.
rPET may exhibit less clarity than non-recycled PET, or include small visual inconsistencies like flecks. In some cases, this appearance can contribute to a product’s sustainable branding and aesthetic. In others, additional processing can be used to achieve the appearance preferred by consumers.
In general, rPET has a similar cost to PET, and may be slightly more or less expensive depending on market conditions. Over the long term, rPET has proven to be an economical alternative and complement to virgin PET for a number of different industries and use cases.
Benefits of Recycled PET for Food Packaging
rPET is a market-leading choice because it offers food sellers an excellent material for providing the packaging quality and features that consumers have come to expect while accommodating the growing consumer preference for more sustainable options. Because packaging can be made with a flexible mix of rPET and virgin materials, it can be tailored to further ESG goals without negatively impacting the customer experience.
rPET packaging helps reduce the environmental impact of food packaging by:
- Significantly reducing energy and fossil fuel usage. Reprocessing of rPET is a far less resource-intensive process than manufacturing new PET resin. On average, research shows that every ton of recycled plastic saves about 5,774 kWh of energy and 16 barrels of oil.
- Limiting water usage compared to virgin PET.
- Reducing waste in landfills.
rPET is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for food-contacting applications, and the material has become a proven solution for boosting sustainability across a wide range of food products.
Explore ReCERTA™: rPET Food Packaging Solutions
With consumers increasingly demanding sustainable products, food businesses are accelerating their search for solutions that can mitigate environmental impact, and packaging is a crucial part of this challenge.
Lacerta is proud to offer a solution. Today, our full PET food packaging portfolio is made with ReCERTA™ material, which guarantees an average of at least 10% recycled content.
See how ReCERTA™ delivers more sustainable outcomes for our customers.
