PET Basics | Uses for PET | PET Safety | Recycling & Sustainability
PET, which stands for polyethylene terephthalate, is a form of polyester (just like the clothing fabric). It is extruded or molded into plastic bottles and containers for packaging foods and beverages, personal care products, and many other consumer products.
PET is a highly valued packaging material because it is strong yet lightweight, non-reactive, economical, and shatterproof. PET's safety for food, beverage, personal care, pharmaceutical and medical applications is recognized by health authorities around the world.
PET containers are popular for packaging sodas, water, juices, salad dressings, cooking oil, peanut butter, shampoo, liquid hand soap, mouthwash, pharmaceuticals, even tennis balls. Virtually all single-serving and 2-liter bottles of carbonated soft drinks and water sold in the U.S. are made from PET. Special grades of PET are used for carry-home prepared food containers that can be warmed in the oven or microwave.
PET is a polymer of ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. Pellets of the PET resin are heated to a molten liquid, which can be easily extruded or molded into almost any shape. PET was first synthesized by DuPont chemists in the mid-1940s, during a search for polymers that could be used to make new textile fibers.
How can I distinguish PET bottles and containers from other plastics?PET plastic containers are identified by the #1 recycling code -- the triangular "chasing arrows" symbol with the number 1 in the center and the acronym PET or PETE underneath. The recycling symbol can usually be found molded into the bottom or side of the container or bottle. Only PET carries the #1 indentification code.
PET, or polyethylene terephthalate, is the chemical name for polyester. When PET is used for fiber or fabric applications, it is usually referred to as "polyester". When used for container and packaging applications, it is typically called "PET" or "PET resin."
Like glass, PET is hygienic, strong, resistant to attack by micro-organisms, does not react with foods or beverages, and will not biologically degrade. Its safety for food and beverage use is recognized by health authorities around the world. But unlike glass, PET is extremely lightweight, simple to transport and won't break, which is why it's preferred for packaging many foods and beverages.
Yes. PET bottles are cleared for both single and repeated use by the FDA and other world health-safety agencies. It's a common misconception that refilling and reusing a PET bottles will somehow cause the bottle to degrade, release harmful substances or cultivate bacteria. PET is a stable, inert material that doesn't biologically or chemically degrade with use, and is resistant to attack by micro-organisms. Regulatory authorities have tested PET bottles and found no harmful substances in either new or re-used PET bottles.
Although PET bottles are approved for both single and repeated use, the refilling and re-use of any bottle first requires careful cleaning. Always use soap and hot water. Dry thoroughly to make sure it is sanitary and free of moisture, which can promote bacterial growth. Consumers should avoid re-using any bottle that has been scratched inside, since bacteria can become lodged in scratches.
PET is a biologically inert material that doesn't react with foods or beverages and is resistant to attack by micro-organisms. It's been thoroughly reviewed and approved as safe for contact with foods and drinks by the FDA, Health Canada, the European Food Safety Authority and other health-safety agencies. It has also been used by consumers around the world for nearly 30 years without any known adverse effects. Extensive testing of PET and PET packaging has repeatedly shown it to be safe. PET itself is biologically inert if ingested.
It depends on the shelf-life requirements. The grades of PET used for soft drinks don't quite have the oxygen barrier properties needed to maintain a beer's optimum taste quality over its typical shelf-life. However, beer packaged in single-serving PET bottles is becoming more and more popular at concerts and sporting events. Because the beer is bottled specifically for these events and consumed on the premises, there's no time for beer quality to deteriorate. New technology to meet the longer shelf-life needs of beer and wine continues to be introduced into the marketplace.
Yes. Special grades of PET are used for take-out food containers and prepared food trays that can be warmed in the oven or microwaved. These "dual ovenable" trays and containers have the same basic chemical formula as PET bottles and jars, but have special additives that crystallize and toughen the PET so it can withstand the much higher temperatures of oven and microwave heating. Ovenable PET is approved as safe by the FDA and other health-safety agencies around the world.
PET has been approved as safe for contact with foodstuffs and beverages by the FDA, Health Canada, the European Food Safety Authority and virtually every other health-safety agency in the world. It has been used for food and beverage containers for nearly 30 years without any known adverse effects. Extensive studies of PET and PET packaging have repeatedly shown it to be safe.
No. PET is a very stable, inert material that doesn't react with foods or beverage and is resistant to attack by micro-organisms. PET itself is biologically inert if ingested.
No. PET does not contain BPA. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a compound used to make polycarbonate, a different type of plastic that's found in some baby bottles, the lining of metal cans, and reusable sports bottles. PET does not contain BPA and never has. Some legislators and consumer groups are concerned there might be a possible connection between BPA in polycarbonate and possible developmental or reproductive disorders, although BPA has been extensively studied and ruled safe by international health authorities. These concerns have caused some confusion about which plastics contain BPA, but PET does not contain BPA.
No. PET does not contain dioxins, nor can it produce dioxins, and no dioxins are created in the manufacturing of PET. Dioxins are a group of compounds sometimes formed by high-temperature combustion (over 750 degrees F.) and certain types of industrial processes involving chlorine. Dioxins can't be created without the presence of chlorine, and PET does not contain chlorine. Consequently, dioxins can't be produced when a PET container is heated or microwaved or frozen (all common urban myths).
PET contains no phthalates. Phthalates (i.e., phthalate ester plasticizers) are not used in PET, and PET is not a phthalate. Plasticizer phthalates are sometimes used to soften other types of plastic, but they are not used in PET. Some consumers may have incorrectly assumed that PET is a phthalate because PET's chemical name is polyethylene terephthalate. Despite the suffix, PET is not a phthalate. Phthalates are low molecular weight monoesters made from ortho-phthalic acid. By comparison, PET is a high molecular weight polyester made from tere-phthalic acid. Chemically they are very different.
No. PET contains no known endocrine disruptors, and there is no credible scientific data to suggest that PET produces estrogen or endocrine modulating activity. Studies that exposed both male and female laboratory animals to terephthalates during all phases of the reproductive cycle found no reproductive or developmental effects in either the test animals or their offspring.
Why are trace amounts of antimony compounds found in PET bottles? Is this safe?Very small amounts of antimony compounds are used in the production of PET as well as glass. Antimony oxide is typically used as the catalyst in making PET, which is chemically bound into the polymer at very low levels. Over time and with extended exposure to heat, trace amounts of antimony may migrate into water or other beverages bottled in PET. Laboratory tests on the migration of antimony compounds from PET have consistently found levels far below all safety thresholds - typically less than 1/40th of the World Health Organization's daily safe-consumption level for drinking water.
There is no reason for concern. No studies have found any toxic amounts of antimony in PET-bottled water or containers. Unfortunately, there has been some consumer misunderstanding of studies showing higher-than-normal levels of antimony when water bottled in PET was exposed to extreme heat (176 degrees F) for extended periods of time. Even then, the highest measured levels paralleled established safe levels for antimony in drinking water. In short, the very small amounts of antimony that might be found in PET-bottled water are of no concern and do not pose any health risk.
Absolutely. PET is recyclable and highly sustainable. It can be recovered and recycled again and again –– back into containers for foods, beverages and personal care products – or into carpet and clothing fibers, automotive parts, construction materials, industrial strapping or other packaging materials. More than 1 billion pounds of used PET bottles and containers are collected in the U.S. each year for recycling. PET is the most recycled plastic in the U.S.
PET can be recovered, and the material reused, through a series of washing processes or by chemical treatment to break down the PET into its raw materials or intermediates, which are then purified and converted into new PET resins.
Yes. Virtually every municipal recycling program in North America and Europe accepts PET bottles and containers, which can easily be identified by the #1 recycling code found on the label or stamped into the side or bottom of the container.
Bottles, jars and other containers made of PET can be collected and recycled into a wealth of products. PET can be recycled into new PET bottles and containers, carpet and clothing, industrial strapping, rope, upholstery fabrics, boat sails, automotive parts, fiberfill for winter jackets and sleeping bags, construction materials, and many other items.
PET is a remarkably energy-efficient packaging material. First of all, it's highly recyclable. Although the feedstocks for PET are crude oil and natural gas, the environmental impact of PET is very favorable in comparison to glass, aluminum and other container materials. Because PET is so strong yet lightweight, it allows more product to be delivered with less packaging, less weight and less fuel for transport. Life cycle studies of PET have consistently shown it to be a highly sustainable material with a positive environmental profile.
Because PET is resistant to attack by micro-organisms and won't biologically degrade, PET bottles and containers that find their way to the landfill remain inert and pose no risk of leaching or contaminating groundwater. PET bottles and containers are thin walled and can be easily crushed flat, so they take up relatively little landfill space. According to the EPA, less than 2% of U.S. municipal solid waste is attributed to PET containers.
Although the PET recycling rate continues to grow in both the United States and Europe, the Europeans seem more attuned to the value of recycling packaging materials. The recycling rate for PET in the U.S. was approximately 27% in 2008 and continues to increase. The 2008 PET recycling rate in Europe was 46%.
Yes. Recycling used PET bottles and jars into new food-grade PET bottles and containers is a key example of the environmental benefits and sustainability of PET as a packaging material. The development of modern and efficient plants dedicated to the closed-loop recycling of PET bottles continues to increase around the world.