PET Material Quality

rPET limit to ensure material quality: Up to 75 per cent rPET content for PET bottles made in Switzerland

2026-11-05 1:40 min Sustainability & Circular Economy, rPET & PET Flakes

PET Recycling SchweizZurich, Switzerland

The beverage industry intends to increase the proportion of R-PET in Swiss PET bottles further over the coming years. However, new scientific findings show that having the highest possible proportion of R-PET in the overall system can lead to a long-term decline in quality. The industry is therefore adopting the 'optimum rather than maximum' approach through an agreement, thereby laying the foundations for safeguarding material quality in the long term.

A recent study by sus.lab at ETH Zurich shows that the PET recycling loop remains viable in the long term when R-PET accounts for around 75 to 80 per cent of the overall system. Higher proportions increase the risk of progressive deterioration in material quality over several recycling cycles. The important factor is not the proportion of recycled material in individual bottles, but the proportion within the system as a whole.

Based on these findings, PET-Recycling Schweiz's Executive Board has drawn up an industry agreement in collaboration with recycling companies. The aim is to maintain stability in the PET cycle, even as the proportion of recycled material continues to increase, and to ensure the consistently high quality of Swiss R-PET. To this end, PET-Recycling Schweiz members have committed to using an average of no more than 75 per cent R-PET in their PET bottles manufactured in Switzerland. However, individual product lines may continue to consist of 100 per cent R-PET.

Stable long-term cycle and high-quality material

The entire industry benefits from a long-term, stable PET cycle, which forms the basis for a functioning recycling system. Since any loss of quality can only be rectified at considerable expense, the industry takes action before such problems can accumulate in the material cycle. The upper limit set allows for bottles imported from abroad that are not covered by the agreement.

Use of R-PET set to rise further.

The industry agreement does not imply a general reduction in the use of R-PET. “Switzerland closed the PET cycle 26 years ago. Since then, we have continuously developed the system further. The fact that we are now setting an upper limit is a direct consequence of this success. The proportion of R-PET is now so high that it is no longer simply a matter of using as much recycled material as possible, but of optimally managing the cycle in the long term,” explains Jean-Claude Würmli, Managing Director of PET Recycling Switzerland. “We want to continue increasing the proportion of R-PET in Swiss PET bottles, while ensuring that this growth strengthens rather than weakens the cycle in the long term.”

https://petrecycling.ch/

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