According to a recent study by GVM, the proportion of recycled PET in bottle production and the recycling rate have reached new highs.
 

The study by GVM Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung mbH, which was commissioned by the Forum PET in the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen (German Association for Plastics Packaging and Films), shows a significant increase in efficiency in the entire PET production and recycling cycle: according to the survey, the proportion of recyclates in the production of PET beverage bottles rose between 2013 and 2023 by 27 percentage points to 52 percent, while material consumption has fallen at the same time due to optimized bottle design. According to the study, a total of 380.6 kilotons of PET preforms and bottles were produced in Germany in 2023, 45 kilotons less than in 2021. The authors attribute this decline in material use of 10.5 percent to the continuous optimization of the weight of PET bottles.
 
The study also identified a particularly positive trend in the use of recycled materials: in 2023, with 51.2 percent of the material used to manufacture preforms was recycled material, more than new material for the first time. The share of recycled PET in consumption is also said to have increased significantly: to 46.9 percent for all bottles processed in Germany and to 48 percent for single-use bottles with a deposit. This means that the use of r-PET has increased by 6.4 and 9.2 percentage points respectively since 2021. “The continuous increase in the proportion of recycled material demonstrates the innovative strength and commitment to sustainability of the German PET industry,” says Dr. Isabell Schmidt, Managing Director of the Circular Economy at IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen.
 
According to the GVM study, Germany also continues to perform very well in PET recycling and the collection of PET beverage bottles: in 2023, 97.6 percent of PET beverage bottles were recycled and 99 percent of all PET bottles in Germany were collected, according to the figures. “With a recycling rate of almost 98 percent, we are a global leader,” emphasizes Schmidt. A large proportion of the recycled material goes straight back into the production process: 194.8 kilotons of r-PET in 2023 came from the bottle-to-bottle cycle. “The consistent improvement in recyclability, coupled with the increasing demand for recyclates, makes it clear that sustainability is the focus of the German PET industry,” emphasizes Schmidt. ”We are confident that the industry itself will continue to develop innovative solutions that combine environmental protection and product quality in the face of stricter regulatory requirements.”
 
Sources:

• Press release Forum PET in IK (8.11.2024)
• Photo: © IK