How does PET plastic become a new product?

It’s a four step process that begins with you!

  1.  In order to give birth to a new product, used PET bottles must first be properly disposed of for collection.
  2. The collected PET bottles are then sent to a sorting plant with aim of separation according to their materials. PET bottles are compacted into a bundle and are sent to a reclaimer – the factory that turns used bottles into PET flakes.
  3. The first thing the reclaimer has to do is de-bale the bundles and re-sort the material to make sure the final product will be as pure as possible. The de-baled bundles are then pre-washed and shredded into flakes. The flakes are again washed, dried, and then stocked.
  4. The real recycling starts when the solid flakes, the raw material, are used to manufacture a new product. Recycled PET bottles can be turned into polyester fibers, which are used as a base for products such as clothing, pillows and carpets, new bottles and other products. 
Thank you for your participation in this process!
You can see the video on how PET is recycled.