Plastics Recyclers Europe (PRE) are urging processors to change the design for PET trays, as according to them they are not being properly recycled.
The last few years have seen a significant increase in the use of PET trays with 70,000 tonnes being used on the market yearly.
However according to PRE “None of the current recycling streams want to have PET trays in their incoming waste.”
Adding “recyclers do not want them because of their incompatibility with polyolefins“
According to the recycling group, collection schemes and sorters are even trying to push trays into PET bottles or mixed plastics streams to achieve higher recycling targets.
PRE believe without a change in the PET market, the whole product could be replaced by more resource efficient solutions.
The group will take steps towards the improvement of the design, including developing recycling guidelines that will enable the trays to move towards recyclability.
Separate sorting streams will also have to be created to enable PET tray recycling, as the company suggests some non-PET trays also have similar issues.
The group added, “As a proactive industry, recyclers are willing to cooperate with more stakeholders to further develop these guidelines.”
“All trays have an important packaging function but need adapt to recyclability requirements in order to grow in the years to come.”
