How Does Recycling PET Plastics Help the Environment?

PET plastic, which is a common material used for plastic bottles and containers, is a highly recyclable plastic. Commonly taken in curbside and drop-off recycling programs, recycling saves natural resources, energy and landfill space while providing reusable material.

Natural Resources Savings

• Recycling plastic saves oil

  PET plastics are derived from petroleum. Recycling plastics saves petroleum needed to make new plastics. Each ton of plastic recycled saves 1.8 tons of petroleum.

Energy Savings

• Recycling plastic from post-consumer sources uses less energy than creating plastic out of raw materials. Each pound of PET plastic recycled saves 12,000 BTUs of energy.

Landfill Savings

• Recycling saves landfill space.

  Recycling PET plastics keeps the material in use and out of landfills. That extends the life of landfills and saves municipalities money otherwise spent on buying land and constructing new landfills. One ton of recycled PET plastic saves 7.4 cubic yards of landfill space.

Creates New Products

• Twenty plastic bottles can create enough fill for a ski jacket.

  PET plastic products can be made with up to 100 percent recycled plastic material. New bottles can be made with PET plastic, and new technology is making the bottles stronger and lighter. PET plastic can be recycled into polyester fibers and used in clothing and outdoor sports gear.