PET Is the Most Widely Recycled Plastic in the World

PET (look for the 1 on the container) is the most recycled plastic in the world with more than 3 billion pounds of used PET bottles and containers collected annually in North America (US, Canada, and Mexico) to be recycled. PET bottles and jars are accepted in virtually all recycling programs in the United States and Canada.

After collection, post-consumer PET is purchased by reclaimers who wash, grind, and further process PET containers to produce a recycled resin ready for reuse in a variety of end products. Watch the video below or discover PET recycling, step by step.

Learn more about the environmental impacts of PET versus alternative packaging here.

Looking to learn more about the PET recycling process?

Recycling makes a difference. It really does! Each recycled plastic PET bottle has a positive impact on our local and global communities in terms of resource conservation, local jobs, and related infrastructure. Early education and habit-forming behaviors can go a long way in ensuring that PET containers get recycled over and over again.

Understanding how recycled containers are processed and manufactured into new items helps us take ownership of the process. It becomes much more than just tossing a PET container into a recycling bin.

Recycling Resources

Most people know that recycling is the right thing to do, but they don’t always know the right way to do it. Our Positively PET campaign aims to help. Follow these tips to recycle right.

Want to learn how to help end plastic pollution? Discover why recycling PET is part of the plastic pollution solution.

The Association of Plastics Recyclers has several resources for PET recycling as well as other plastics. Learn more at PlasticsRecycling.org.

Are you a recycling educator? Our video above is a good starting place, but we also encourage you to check out Waste Hero resources, which include materials that you can use in the classroom. Learn more at Waste Hero Education.