Renewed focus for recycled PET

“Virgin polymer prices were very low,”​ Wood Mackenzie senior consultant Helen McGeough told Food Manufacture. “At the time, there was deep dismay in the industry at the lack of commitment from end-users.”​

Some recycling businesses failed due to these and other adverse business conditions, McGeough explained.

Targets​

“We’re in a very different place now,”​ she added. “The sentiment is that this is something we have to do. Targets for recycled content are being set by retailers and brand-owners.”​

McGeough, who has authored a new report on western European markets for rPET, pointed out that the UK PET bottle recovery rate in 2017 was 58%, compared with just under 40% in 2012.

The EU Strategy for Plastics in the Circular Economy has also helped to sharpen industry focus, she said.

Meanwhile, targets and deadlines for efficient plastic packaging use​​ have been launched by The Waste & Resources Action Programme for members of the UK Plastics Pact.