PET Plastic bottles – facts not myths

PET plastic bottles are a popular choice for packaging soft drinks due to the numerous benefits they provide both to manufacturers and consumers. 70% of soft drinks (carbonated drinks, still and dilutable drinks, fruit juices and bottled water), are now packaged in PET plastic bottles – the rest comes mainly in glass bottles, metal cans and cartons.

However, despite the benefits of using PET plastic, many misconceptions exist about plastic bottles. This factsheet is intended to correct some of these.

Benefits of PET plastic bottles

• Lightweight: Cost-effective to produce and require less energy to transport
• Safe: Do not shatter and cause a hazard if broken or damaged
• Convenient: Because they are safe and lightweight, they are also convenient for on-the-go consumption
• Re-sealable: Suitable for multi-serve packs
• Recyclable: Can be recycled so that the PET can be used over and over again
• Sustainable: Increasing numbers of PET plastic bottles are made from recycled PET
• Distinctive: Can be moulded into different shapes, enabling brands to use them to build identity and promote drinks
• Flexible: Manufacturers can switch from one bottle shape or size to another, meaning a high level of efficiency

Environmental facts

Recycling: All PET plastic bottles can be recycled. Nearly 35% of PET plastic bottles in the household waste stream are now being collected for recycling - in 2001 this figure was just 3%. Major soft drinks manufacturers have also signed up to the Courtauld Commitment, a voluntary agreement with WRAP which aims to reduce the amount of packaging waste ending up in household bins.

Through innovation, the industry is constantly improving its environmental record further. PET plastic bottles have been redesigned so that they are 30% lighter than 15 years ago and increasing amounts of recycled plastic are used to manufacture the bottles themselves. The industry is also working with organisations such as RECOUP on further innovation in the design of PET plastic bottles.

We all need to ensure that recycling rates continue to grow and the soft drinks industry urges people to recycle their plastic bottles and not discard them as litter. The growth in litter needs to be tackled and the industry fully supports public campaigns against littering and sponsors a number of on-the-go recycling initiatives to help people dispose of their empty bottles and encourage sustainability.

Use of oil: A tiny proportion of the world’s oil is used to make PET plastic bottles.
• 4% of world oil is used to make all plastic
• In the UK, 37% of plastic is used to make packaging
• Of this packaging, just 1.2% of plastic packaging is used to make PET plastic drinks bottles
Use of water: The process of producing a PET plastic drinks bottle, (including processing, packaging and transport) uses about 7 litres of water. The industry, in line with its environmental responsibilities, is constantly looking at ways to reduce further the amount of water it uses in its manufacturing processes.

To put this water usage into context, here are some examples of the water used to produce other everyday products: typical newspaper - 300 litres; nappy - 810 litres; toilet roll - 250 litres

PET plastic packaging facts

Antimony: Antimony is used in minute amounts in the manufacture of PET plastic. It is approved around the world for this purpose. There is an EU maximum permitted level for antimony in bottled water. All reported levels of antimony found in bottled water are considerably below the safe level permitted.

Bisphenol A (BPA): BPA is used in the manufacture of some plastics such as food and drink can linings, but it is not used in PET plastic food and drink containers (nor those made from HDPE, LDPE or polypropylene).

Bisphenol A has been approved as safe for use in all food and drink containers by the European Food Safety Authority and the UK Food Standards Agency, and dietary exposure to BPA is well below the recognised tolerable daily intake (TDI).

Phthalates: Phthalates are substances used in the manufacture of PVC plastics to make them flexible – they are not used in the manufacture of PET plastic bottles.

All packaging used by the soft drinks industry is strictly regulated and must comply with European law, and EU legislation sets maximum limits for migration from food contact plastics into food. The European Food Safety Authority established safe levels for phthalates following a thorough review of safety data in 2005. The levels UK consumers are exposed to do not exceed the safety levels set.

Plastic bottles in cars: There are no carcinogens in PET plastic - it is a myth that a plastic bottle left in a car will leach carcinogens into the soft drink it contains.

Storage: Soft drinks bottles should be stored in the same way as many food items - they should be kept in a cool, dark place and should not be stored close to household chemical, cleaning product containers or sources of strong odours.

Re-use: Single use plastic bottles are not designed for re-use. In the interest of hygiene and consumer safety we advise against the re-use of single-use bottles.

For further information please contact:

British Soft Drinks Association	British Plastics Federation	Plastics Europe
Liz Bastone Media Manager 020 7400 3713 lbastone@britishsoftdrinks.com www.britishsoftdrinks.com	Rita Ogole 020 7457 5000 rogole@bpf.co.uk www.bpf.co.uk	info@plasticsEurope.org www.plasticseurope.org