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Report: PET is far from real circularity
New research produced for Zero Waste Europe by sustainability consultancy Eunomia Research & Consulting shows that most Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic recovered from bottles in Europe does not make its way back into new PET bottles. Significant Improvements in design, collection and recycling will be needed to improve circularity. The “How circular is PET?” report presents a picture of the true state of circularity of this material in bottles in Europe – including how many bottles are collected for recycling; how many are actually recycled; and how many new bottles contain recycled PET. Research finds that: Most recycled PET recovered from bottles in Europe is being used in other lower-grade PET applications such as trays, film, strapping or…
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Brands call for global pact to cut plastic production
More than 70 international brands (including Coca Cola and PepsiCo) called today for a global pact to combat plastic pollution that includes cuts in plastic production, a key growth area for the oil industry. World officials will meet at a United Nations Environment Assembly conference (UNEA 5.2) later this year to start negotiations on a treaty to tackle a plastic waste crisis that is choking landfills, despoiling oceans and killing wildlife. It remains unclear whether any deal will focus on waste management and recycling or take tougher steps such as curbing new plastic production, a move that would likely face resistance from big oil and chemical firms and major plastic-producing…
