The polyethylene terephthalate (PET) molecule is a key building block for plastic packaging and polyester textiles, and makes up one-quarter of consumer packaging (bottles and trays) and the vast majority of synthetic textiles (clothing, homeware and industrial) used in Europe. PET/polyester has abundant – but not yet realised – potential for circularity, through reuse and complementary mechanical and chemical PET recycling.
The Circular PET and Polyester issue brief builds on a Circular PET and Polyester system study published by Systemiq in July 2023. This system study created a model for PET/polyester flows in Europe out to 2040. It presented an “Ambitious Complementarity Scenario” with ambitious application of all circular economy approaches (reduce, reuse and recycle). Compared to a continuation of current trends, this scenario has the potential to achieve a PET and polyester recycling rate of 67% by 2040, up from 24% in 2020.
Whilst exports of plastic waste from Europe are increasingly restricted (especially to non-OECD countries), this new issue brief presents evidence that imports of recycled PET – not made from European waste – into Europe could increase in response to future demand driven by ambitious recycled content targets in the Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) and PPWR. As of October 2023, over 100 registrations had been made for recycling installations outside Europe, for the import of contact-sensitive recycled plastic into Europe.
