Will there be enough PET bottles recovered to meet bottle-to-bottle recycling goals? This question is addressed in a July 10, 2019 Wood Mackenzie Chemicals news release.
It summarizes a new company report which suggests that “… the current amount of RPET bottles collected … will fall far short of what is needed to meet current plastics recycled content goals. The capital investment costs to build the plants required to process the additional RPET bottles collected would be substantial, assuming the RPET bottle collection goals are met in the first place. Clearly, a huge gap exists between existing corporate sustainability goals and the current state of the U.S. RPET market. Additionally, brand owners in other RPET end-use sectors, such as fibres, have made similar commitments. As such, there is likely to be increased competition for RPET material, with some cost-focused material priced out of the market …”