Fast Facts

Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET)

PET is a type of plastic used to manufacture soft drink bottles and other kinds of food containers; other uses include fabric production.

Generated:
• 1.66 million tons or 0.75% by weight.*
• 1.54 million tons of bottles.*
• 120,000 tons of non-bottle packaging.*
• 12.3 pounds of all PET packaging per person.*
• 11.4 pounds of PET bottles per person.*
• 15 20 oz. soft drink bottles weigh 1 pound.
• 9 2-liter soft drink bottles weigh 1 pound.
• 80% of bottles are generated in homes and 20% are generated in businesses*

Recycled:
• 360,000 tons for a 29% bottle recycling rate.*
• 385,000 tons for a 24% container recycling rate in 1999 (industry data).
• In the past five years, the industry as seen a recycling rate decline for PET bottles because of the increased production for custom bottles.
• 305,000 tons for an 18.8% bottle utilization rate in 1999 (industry data based on clean flake used for final product and export only).
• At this time, only minimal recycling is used for other PET packages and products.

Recycled Content:
• Though the FDA has approved the recycling of PET, it is an unusual to be found in bottles.

Composted:
• Typical of many plastics, PET is a non-compostable material.

Density:
• Landfilled soft drink bottles weigh 355 pounds per cubic yard.*
• Whole PET bottles have a density of 30 pounds per cubic yard to 40 pounds per cubic yard.
• Baled PET bottles have a density of 400 pounds per cubic yard to 500 pounds per cubic yard.
• Granulated PET bottles have a density of 700 pounds to 750 pounds.

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