Aluminum, glass, and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) packaging manufacturer associations ask US state governments to clearly communicate container return process to consumers, stress importance of recycling returned containers to meet currently high packaging demand during COVID-19 pandemic
April 14, 2020
Scientists find novel enzyme to break down PET
Publication in the journal Nature reports new enzyme able to break down 90% of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic into monomers within ten hours, outperforms all previously discovered enzymes
February 18, 2020
Flexible plastic packaging expected to grow
Market research by the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI) estimates 3,271 billion packaging units sold in 2018, led by flexible plastics and PET bottles; expects both material types to also see greatest increases by 2023
September 2, 2019
PET recycling will not meet brand commitments
National Association for PET Container Resources concludes that U.S. PET recycling rates too low to meet brand commitments for recycled content; calls for action, including improving collection
July 29, 2019
EFSA opinions on four PET recycling processes
European Food Safety Authority’s Working Group on Recycling Plastics publishes opinions on four processes for recycling polyethylene terephthalate (PET) into food contact materials; includes AMB, Poly Recycling, Texplast, Quinn Packaging processes
April 3, 2019
EFSA plastics recycling working group: 4th meeting
EFSA’s CEP Panel working group on recycling plastics holds 4th meeting; minutes now available online
March 20, 2019
Low plastic collection rates in U.S.
Plastic recyclers comment on the ongoing problem of low plastic collection rates in the U.S.; criticize soft drink companies for fighting introduction of bottle deposit tax, call for collection rate to rise from 30% to 70%
March 20, 2019
Launch of Chemical Recycling Europe
New association for chemical recycling launches in Europe; conference on the topic to be held June 4, 2019 in Brussels
March 8, 2019
Safety of ‘Jász‐Plasztik’ recycling process
EFSA’s CEP Panel considers PET made by recycling process ‘Jász‐Plasztik’ safe for up to 100% use in food contact materials and articles under specified conditions
March 1, 2019
Enzymatic recycling of PET
CARBIOS announces development of PET bottle made from ‘100% purified terephthalic acid’ obtained by ‘enzymatic biorecycling’ of mixed PET plastic waste, though challenges still remain to produce recycled resin fully comparable to virgin PET
