Acronyms and Industry Terms

PET, rPET, PCR… We get it—there are a lot of acronyms used in the industry. We’re here to help. Below are acronyms and industry terms with their definitions. Don’t see what you’re looking for? Contact Lindsay Nichols to add to the list. 

ACRONYMS

 APET Virgin amorphous PET; used to describe virgin resin used in PET thermoform conversion
 BPA Bisphenol A, a potentially harmful chemical contaminant
 CAA Circular Action Alliance, California’s PRO
 CalRecycle  California Department of Resources, Recycling, and Recovery: California’s government recycling agency brings together California’s recycling and waste management programs
 CPET Crystalline PET (non-transparent)
 CPGs Consumer packaged goods
 CRV California Redemption Value (container deposit return system in California)
 DRS Deposit return system, aka bottle deposits and recycling refunds, the programs provide a monetary incentive for container recovery; currently, 10 US states have DRS programs
 EPR Extended producer responsibility: A concept of shared responsibility for end-of-life management/disposal of products/packaging among producers and other entities involved in the product chain (can be mandated through legislation)
 FMCG Fast-moving consumer goods: everyday items like food, beverages, toiletries, and cleaning supplies that are sold quickly at relatively low prices
 HDPE High-density polyethylene, e.g., bottles, cups, milk jugs, etc., resin identification code #2
 IV Intrinsic viscosity: a metric used to describe the viscous behavior of a polymer solution, directly correlated to mechanical robustness, important in specifications for PET resin applications
 LDPE Low-density polyethylene, e.g., plastic bags, six-pack rings, tubing, etc., resin identification code #4
 LNO Letter of No Objection: a letter issued by the FDA verifying a company’s recycling process for post-consumer materials meets their high standards for food-safe plastic standards; internationally recognized symbol of food safety
 MAP Modified Atmosphere Packaging: when the atmosphere inside the package is altered to provide an optimum condition for the product
 MRF Materials Recovery Facility, a specialized waste sorting and recycling system that receives, separates, and prepares recyclable materials for further processing; also known as a Materials Recycling/Reclamation/Re-use Facility
 NAPCOR The National Association of PET Container Resources: the voice of the North American PET plastic industry
 NIR Near-Infrared sorting technology: using scanners to identify and categorize different types of materials by measuring the light they reflect or transmit in the near-infrared spectrum
 PC Post-consumer: a product or resource that has been used by a consumer or customer
 PCR Post-consumer recycled content: material that has been used by consumers, recycled, and then repurposed into new products; generated from material that has met its intended use by consumers before being recycled
 PET Polyethylene terephthalate: a clear, durable, versatile plastic resin and polyester that meets the rigorous demands of modern packaging applications and is widely used in packaging; the most recycled plastic in the world, identified by the #1 resin identification code ♳
 PETG Polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified: NOT considered resin code #1 or compatible with PET recycling stream
 PFAS Per- and Poly-fluoroalkyl Substances: potentially harmful chemical contaminants
 PI Post-industrial, aka pre-consumer: material recovered or otherwise diverted from the waste stream during the manufacturing process or before a product reaches its intended end user
 PIR Post-industrial recycled content
 PP Polystyrene, e.g., plastic utensils, Styrofoam, cafeteria trays, etc., resin identification code #6
 PRCC Plastic Recycling Corporation of California: a PET broker that has conducted composition studies on California PET bales
 PRO Producer Responsibility Org, a group that helps manufacturers meet their legal obligations for product and packaging waste management under EPR laws, e.g., the Circular Action Alliance was selected by CalRecycle as the PRO
 PS Polystyrene: synthetic polymer, resin identification code #6
 PVC Polyvinyl chloride: a synthetic plastic polymer, e.g., pipes, siding, flooring, etc., resin identification code #3
 RC Recycled content
 REM Responsible End Market: businesses that use recycled materials to make products in a way that’s good for the environment and protects public health and safety
 rPET Recycled PET, also called clean flake or pellet
 RR Recycling refund: bottle deposits/same as DRS
 SB 343 Senate Bill 343, California’s 2021 Accurate Recycling Label legislation
 SB 54 Senate Bill 54, California’s EPR legislation
 SSP Solid state polymerization, also known as pelletizing: the process for converting rPET flake into a food-grade LNO pellet
 SUPD Single Use Plastics Directive (EU only)
 TCWF Thermoform clean-washed flake: clean rPET flake generated from post-consumer PET thermoforms
 vPET Virgin/new PET

INDUSTRY TERMS

 Term Definition
 Alternative PET feedstock Feedstock for recycling other than post-consumer bottles (includes post-consumer thermoforms)
 Circularity/circular economy A system where materials never become waste and nature is regenerated; in a circular economy, products and materials are kept in circulation through processes such as maintenance, reuse, refurbishment, remanufacturing, recycling, and composting
 Clean flake Clean recycled PET that has been washed and processed by a reclaimer, suitable for use in new products or conversion into pellet, used interchangeably with rPET
 Dirty flake Granulated post-consumer PET that has not yet been washed/processed into recyclate; alternative to baled reclamation feedstock
 Eco-modulation In the context of EPR, adjusting producer fees based on the recyclability and/or environmental impact of packaging materials and incentivizing eco-friendly behavior
 End markets Businesses that use recycled material to make new products
 Extrusion Process of forcing resin through a die to form continuous shapes; a step in creating PET sheet and pellet
 Feedstock Inputs to the recycling/reclamation process
 Food-grade applications Packaging suitable for direct food contact in compliance with FDA regulations
 Grade B bales Post-consumer materials derived from curbside collection or a similar mixed-commodity recycling stream
 Life cycle All stages of a product system, beginning with raw material extraction and continuing through material production, product fabrication, use, reuse, or recycling, where applicable, and final disposition
 Lightweighting  Reducing the weight of plastic packaging while maintaining performance and functionality, through redesign, using more PCR, etc.
 LNO pellet Recycled PET pellets approved for use in food packaging by the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
 Non-mechanical recycling Often called chemical recycling, it includes depolymerization technologies to recover PET, including methanolysis and glycolysis
 Non-traditional PET feedstock Feedstock for recycling other than post-consumer rigid packaging (bottles and thermoforms), e.g., preconsumer bottles, film, strapping, preforms, regrind, and other post-industrial PET
 Pelletizing Also known as SSP, the process for converting rPET flake into a food-grade LNO pellet
 PET converter A company that processes clean rPET flake into a higher grade, such as pellet approved for food contact, or directly into a new product, such as into bottles or thermoforms
 PET reclaimer A company that purchases post-consumer PET and produces either of the following for use or sale: clean, recycled PET flake or pellet, or materials resulting from depolymerization
 Positive sort Removing the targeted material from the sort line, as opposed to removing contamination and leaving the targeted material
 Post-consumer Describes material that has been recovered or otherwise diverted from the waste stream after consumer use 
 Post-industrial Describes material that has been recovered or otherwise diverted from the waste stream during the manufacturing process
 Purge PET scrap generated from extrusion, often captured and reprocessed as a form of post-industrial recycling
 Reclamation The process of converting used plastic into a recycled product suitable for use in manufacturing; The process of recovering a usable product from plastic that has been processed; recycled materials that have been collected and separated by commodity into recyclate suitable for use in new products
 Recyclate Recycled material
 Regrind Scrap generated during standard thermoform manufacturing, often captured and reprocessed as a form of post-industrial recycling
 Resin identification code A number from 1 to 7 enclosed in a triangle that identifies the type of plastic resin of which a product is made
 Responsible end market Businesses that use recycled materials to make products in a way that’s good for the environment and protects public health and safety
 Scrap PET scrap generated from extrusion, often captured and reprocessed as a form of post-industrial recycling, aka purge
 Source reduction The practice of reducing the amount of plastic used in manufacturing, e.g., lightweighting or eliminating plastic waste before it’s created
 Sustainable packaging Packaging that is designed to reduce environmental impacts throughout its life cycle
 Thermoforms A manufacturing process that heats a plastic sheet until it is pliable, then forms it into a specific shape using a mold, and finally cools it to harden, e.g., containers such as clamshells, cups, tubs, lids, boxes, trays, egg cartons, and similar rigid, non-bottle packaging formed from sheets of extruded resin (known as trays outside of North America)
 Virgin New material

 

Life Cycle Analysis:
Assessing Environmental Performance

Studies conducted by Franklin Associates allow us to compare energy requirements, solid waste generation, and environmental emissions for the processes involved in manufacturing virgin PET material and those required to collect, sort, and reprocess postconsumer PET packaging into clean recycled resin. Learn More