PET recycling has grown in the last year, research points out
According to a survey, the textile sector is the main destination for the material
The recycling of PET bottles is one of the fastest growing in the country in recent years. In early June, the Brazilian Association of the PET Industry (ABIPET) released the number of bottles recycled in 2011, which confirms this trend.
294 thousand tons of post-consumer PET were collected, which represents 57.1% of the packaging discarded by Brazilians. In 2010, 282 thousand tons were collected, which represents an increase of 4.25% in material recycling, according to the 8th census carried out by ABIPET.
The registered index corresponds to more than double the growth registered in the production of new packaging. Currently, the turnover of PET bottle recycling corresponds to 1.2 billion, in other words, more than a third of the total revenue of the PET industry in Brazil.
Despite the global crisis, selective collection and industry work are managing to make the activity grow and expand. In addition, cooperatives and recyclers collect and reprocess the material to apply it in Brazil, unlike some nations that export post-consumer packaging.
Destiny
Most recycled PET in Brazil is destined for the textile industry. This market corresponds to around 40% of all recycled PET, followed by the packaging and chemical applications sectors, tied in 2nd place with 18% each.
409 recyclers were interviewed. 42% of them stated that the textile market will continue to be the main destination for recycled PET. Another 33% believe that the food packaging industry is the most promising in the field. Already 8% of respondents bet on innovative applications in the automotive sector.
To find out where to recycle your PET bottles, click here.
