The world’s first carbon-neutral recycled PET, or rPET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate), has been successfully manufactured by Alpla Group. The company has specialized in plastic packaging and recycling, including food-grade PET, for many years – but for the first time in history, they have rolled out the world’s first carbon-neutral recycled PET.
Alpla Group’s recycling plants are now powered by renewable energy in order to produce their carbon-neutral rPET. This has cut up to 90% emissions compared to using virgin material for their food-grade regranualte. Furthermore, Alpla Group offsets the unavoidable carbon emissions related to processes such as the delivery of the rPET to customers’ factories by selling them carbon certificates.
Plastic packaging’s second victory
This comes as the second victory of the year in the fight to reduce plastic packaging’s environmental footprint. Earlier this year, Nestlé announced its commitment to create a market for food-grade recycled plastic by sourcing up to 2 million metric tons of it. Such a market has been much needed, as the technical difficulties of recycling plastics at the food-grade level have left a major shortage in both its supply and demand.
Now, however, with the demand from Nestlé and the supply from Alpla Group, we can celebrate that our food’s plastic packaging is becoming recycled, recyclable, and climate-neutral. These accomplishments and commitments highlight the value of used plastics, demonstrating the viability of a circular economy of plastic.
Luckily, these milestones aren’t likely to end here. Nestlé has also created a fund to accelerate the development of innovative and sustainable packaging solutions, and is working closely with others to make more plastics infinitely recyclable. Alpla Group also continues to collaborate with packaging developers, packaging manufacturers, and recycling experts to produce packaging innovations that will continue to reduce plastic’s impact on the environment.
Help us forward the circular economy
The more players that come together in the push towards sustainable and reusable plastic, the better chance we have at achieving a waste-free future. If your business deals in plastics in any way, consider contributing to the circular economy of plastic. You can do this by sourcing recycled plastic for your production, or – if you produce it as a waste- or by-product – selling it to those who will make use of it. Let’s work together towards a future where no plastic goes to waste.