Petcore Europe Launches Special Industry Group “PET Monomer Recycling”
The goal is enhancing the circularity of PET (Polyethylene terephthalate).
Petcore Europe, the association representing the complete PET value chain in Europe since 1993, has launched the Special Industry Group (SIG) “PET Monomer Recycling” because this innovative way “opens a completely new perspective on how to deal with the concerns about plastics and plastic waste”.
According to the association, bringing the PET bottles and food containers as well as polyester textiles back to its constituents – monomers or low molecular weight components that allow purification – means in principle endless re-use of these PET building blocks. “This will improve the circularity of PET since colors, additives and other polymers in multi-layer constructions will be from now on fully recyclable”. Monomer recycling would help to solve the waste problem by giving all PET waste value. “After all efforts from consumers and by the industry to collect and sort the plastic, we can give a guarantee that PET is recycled and does not leave the circle to incineration or landfill.” According to Wim Hoenderdaal, Chairman of the new Petcore Europe Special Industry Group, PET Monomer Recycling has the potential to increase the quantity of available recycled PET and complement of the existing mechanical recycling capacities. The SIG will use the networking and outreach of the Petcore Organization to interact with legislators, regulators, NGOs and other stakeholders to ensure chemical recycling of PET is an acceptable business and fulfills the future requirements of the business environment.
(GR 32019S)
