Closed material cycles are the key to an environmentally friendly and responsible use of plastic products, according to a new study by the Society for Packaging Market Research (GVM).
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PET bottles becoming more environmentally friendly
The recycling of PET beverage bottles, in particular, has emerged as a role model in recent years.
According to the study, 94 per cent of all PET beverage bottles are recycled, and the recycling rate is almost 100 per cent. There is also a clear trend towards the use of recycled material. A PET bottle today consists of an average of 30 per cent recycled material.
Dr Isabell Schmidt, Managing Director at IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen eV, said: “High recycling rates and the use of recycled material in PET beverage bottles have been standard in Germany for years. This means that the German cycle system is a prime example of efficient recycling structures in an international comparison."
The updated GVM study confirms Schmidt’s statement. The recycling rate for PET beverage bottles continues to rise. Including energy recovery, 99.9% of all PET beverage bottles were recycled last year.
The GVM study is based on data from 2019. The company examined all beverage segments relevant to PET bottles in the beverage sector with and without a deposit. Both disposable and returnable bottles were considered. The quantitative less significant PET beverage packaging for milk, mixed milk and milk-based beverages as well as PET bottles for non-beverages were not included in the investigation.