Page 22 - Plastics News March 2017

FEATURES

India recycles 90% of its PET waste study by CSIR

According to a study India recycles 90 percent of its PET waste while recycling rate for PET in
Japan is 72.1%, 48.3% in Europe and 31% in the US.

he concern for Recycled PET (RPET) has escalated quality sensitive product wherein the producers largely
Tin the recent years. PET bottles, which form the use virgin polyester in order to manufacture PET sheets/
major market of PET packaging resin (94%), are the most films. PET Straps has been the third largest market of
important from the point of recycling. More than 90% of recycled PET Industry in terms of revenues, while it has
PET is consumed in food packaging with drinks/beverages been the second largest market in terms of production
forming almost 80% of the food packaging segment. Since volume. PET Straps contributed a smaller share during
drinks and beverages are consumed mostly in residential FY'2014 due to the fact that the production of PET strap
houses, railway stations, restaurants, entertainment has been relatively lower. But today things have changed
venues, airports and other public places, the importance for the betterement.
of organized collection
and recycling of post- There is every possibility that India has the highest
consumer PET bottles recycling rate for polyethylene terephthalate or PET, a
needs to be over kind of plastic used to for manufacturing drinking water
emphasized. bottles and food containers.
of the 900 kilo tonnes of PET made in India annually, 65%
It has been witnessed
that the recycling of is recycled at registered facilities, 15% in the unorganised
PET has been widely sector and 10% is reused at homes, states a yearlong study
growing in India by scientists from Council of Scientific and Industrial
majorly during the Research (CSIR) - National Chemical Laboratory (NCL). The
last couple of years. Besides the markets for bottle-to- rest ends up at landfills.The recycling rate for PET in Japan
bottle recycling, more and more of PET are being used is 72.1%, 48.3% in Europe and 31% in the US.
in the manufacture of fibers, PET sheets and PET straps. The data was released on Thursday by NCL and PET
Currently, it has been observed that the usage of recycled Packaging Association for Clean Environment (PACE),
PET has increased as compared to textile fibers and a New Delhi-based industry body representing PET
filaments industries accounting for the overall recycled manufacturers, processors and recyclers .
polyester demand. The demand for PET is increasing into
the food and nonfood containers, industrial yarn, mono According to the United Nations Environment Programme
filaments, strapping, film, sheet, and building materials (UNEP), people around the world produce nearly 300
such as foam boards which are becoming the targeted end million tonnes of plastic every year . of that, as much as
markets for recycled PET flakes. 13 million tonnes finds its way into the oceans, wreaking
havoc on marine ecosystems and the fishing industry.
India Recycling PET Industry includes Recycled PET Staple The pollution costs up to $13 billion per year in
Fibre, Recycled PET straps and Recycled PET Sheets/Films. environmental damage.

The recycling PET industry in India has been largely Recycle and reuse
dominated by the PET Staple fiber segment. The staple
fiber segment has traditionally dominated the recycling After one time use, these plastics are discarded and
PET industry both in terms of production volume and land up at dumping grounds. While it is one of the most
revenue. In terms of revenues, Polyester sheet has been the economically beneficial plastics, people are not aware
second largest market of the recycled PET industry which about its recyclable benefits.
contributed a nominal share. The reason for contributing “We use a combination of site visits, interviews, literature
a low share has been primarily due to PET sheets being a survey for this study. The team has visited (and continues

Plastics News | March 2017 22 43 April 2015 Plastics News
•
•