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. Recoup’s ‘UK Household Plastics Collection Survey 2014’ confirmed that nearly 60% 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 spans over three phases. The third phase, launched in May 2013, is more focused on finding opportunities to reduce the carbon impact of packaging, whereas the first two phases focussed on focused on the reduction of packaging and packaging weight. 

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.