Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle recycling rates across the United States reached new heights in 2023, according to the National Association for PET Container Resources鈥� (NAPCOR) latest 2023 PET Recycling Report. The United States (US) PET bottle collection rate was 33 percent in 2023, up four percentage points from 29 percent in 2022; the highest recycling rate in the US since 1996. The average amount of post-consumer recycled (PCR) PET, also known as recycled PET (rPET), used in US bottles and jars was 16.2 percent in 2023, up 3 percentage points from 13.2 percent in 2022. This is the highest level ever and demonstrates increased demand for recycled PET nationwide.
PET plastic, easily identified by the #1 resin code, is clear, durable, and versatile. It is accepted in virtually all US recycling programs and is聽recycled at higher rates聽than other plastics. A PET plastic bottle can be fully recycled and can be made with up to 100 percent post-consumer recycled material. Research shows that compared to a 12 oz. aluminum can and a 12 oz. glass bottle, a 16.9 oz. PET plastic water bottle consumes 80 percent less energy during production, creates 80 percent less solid waste, uses 53 percent less water during production, has a 74 percent lower global warming potential, and generates 68-83 percent fewer emissions contributing to acid rain and smog formation.
鈥淧ET plastic bottles play a vital role in a circular economy because they can be designed to be remade and our members are working hard to ensure they get recycled,鈥� stated Laura Stewart, NAPCOR鈥檚 executive director. 鈥淣APCOR鈥檚 2023 PET Recycling Report shows that while there were fewer PET bottles available to recycle in the US, there were still more PET bottles recycled in 2023, resulting in a higher recovery percentage. When manufacturers, consumers, retailers, and recyclers work together to ensure PET is selected, collected, and recycled, our planet reaps the rewards.鈥�
In 2023, the collection rate reached the highest level in nearly 30 years due to growth in PET plastic bottles collected and fewer bottles available for recycling compared to 2022. The US collected 1,962 million pounds of PET bottles for recycling in 2023, the highest annual weight for US bottle collection ever recorded, up from 1,911 million pounds in 2022, an increase of 2.7 percent.
The total pounds of PET bottles available for recycling in the US in 2023 was 5,952 million pounds, down 9.8 percent from 6,599 million pounds in 2022. Domestic sales of both new, also called virgin, and recycled PET resin to non-food/beverage bottle applications, e.g., personal care packaging and household cleaners, were down by significant margins compared to 2022.
As a result of voluntary brand commitments and legislation including recent mandatory recycled content laws, the trend of increasing rPET content in US bottles has accelerated in recent years after remaining flat between six and seven percent between 2014 and 2017. In 2023, the rate of rPET content in US bottles reached an all-time high of 16.2 percent. The amount of rPET used in US bottles in 2023 increased to 966 million pounds from 870 million pounds in 2022, an 11 percent difference. Of the total usage of recycled PET in US and Canadian end markets, the fraction that went to bottle applications reached a new high of 59 percent in 2023, surpassing the previous record of 54 percent in 2022.
鈥淣APCOR鈥檚 2023 PET Recycling Report underscores the ever-growing demand for PCR content,鈥� added Stewart. 鈥淭o meet this demand, NAPCOR and the PET industry are eager to work with the government and other stakeholders to improve the collection and recycling of PET plastic.鈥�
North America (the US, Canada, and Mexico) also achieved a significant milestone in recycling, reaching a new high of 41.3 percent in 2023 and yet again surpassing the global standard set by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. In 2016, the Foundation defined successful recycling as achieving a 30 percent recycling rate across regions with a combined population of at least 400 million. Since 2019, when NAPCOR began tracking the North American rate, the region鈥檚 PET bottle recycling rate has consistently exceeded the 30 percent benchmark.