Many brands are switching to PET to meet consumer needs and regulations for sustainable packaging. This change not only helps with their sustainability goals but also improves efficiency and lowers costs.
Let’s explore some reasons why brands are choosing PET:
PET leads the way in sustainable packaging, giving brands a recyclable, circular solution that fits seamlessly with their environmental goals. What’s amazing about PET is its durability—this material can be recycled multiple times without losing quality. In fact, a PET bottle can be collected, recycled, and back on shelves as a new bottle in just five days.
Recent studies confirm just how environmentally friendly PET is. Compared to other materials, it has a much lower global warming impact. For example, producing a 500 ml PET bottle results in far fewer carbon emissions than its competitors—aluminium produces 1.7 times more, and glass emits 5.6 times more. PET bottles are also more energy-efficient to produce, requiring significantly less energy than aluminium (1.3 times more) or glass (3.3 times more).
And there’s more. PET bottles use less blue water (freshwater from lakes, rivers, and aquifers) than aluminium or glass, making them even gentler on natural resources. The future for PET looks even brighter as ongoing efforts to make bottles lighter, increase recycled content, and boost recycling rates promise even greater reductions in environmental impacts.
PET isn’t just sustainable—it’s a smart, forward-thinking choice.
More and more companies are turning to recycled PET (rPET) for their packaging, with some creating products made entirely from recycled content. This shift reduces the need for new raw materials while still delivering high-quality, reliable packaging. By keeping PET in the recycling loop, brands are cutting down on waste and championing a circular economy.
The environmental impact of rPET is impressive. Switching from virgin PET to rPET can slash carbon emissions by 59%—and when recycling is powered by renewable energy, that reduction can climb to an incredible 90%.
At the heart of our commitment to sustainability is our ability to work with up to 100% rPET. While factors like material quality can influence how successfully rPET is adopted, its potential to transform packaging and reduce environmental harm is undeniable.
Did you know? Our PET recycling plant, EsterPET, located in Leeds, supplies us with recycled PET (rPET). This enables Esterform to help you align seamlessly with your sustainability goals.
PET’s lightweight design offers big benefits for both logistics and the environment.
By using less material, PET helps cut shipping costs and improves fuel efficiency during transport. In beverage packaging, where resin often makes up 80% to 90% of total costs, innovative light-weighting can save over 10% in resin per unit. This not only lowers production costs but also makes packaging more convenient for consumers to carry—delivering a win for businesses, the planet, and customers alike.
Did you know? Light weighting has been part of our sustainability goal since 2020. We have saved over 9,000 tons by making products lighter which in turn decreases manufacturing and transportation costs PLUS light weighting uses less materials. – Find our more here about our sustainability achievements and goals.
Reducing resin usage through light-weighting offers manufacturers significant cost savings. By optimising material use, companies can cut packaging expenses while staying ahead of potential regulations on single-use plastics. Many brands are also setting ambitious goals to reduce virgin resin usage, achieving this through strategies like switching to recycled materials or adopting lightweight designs.
PET’s incredible versatility allows it to be moulded into a wide range of shapes and sizes, giving brands the freedom to design innovative, functional, and eye-catching packaging that grabs attention on store shelves.
PET is shatterproof and highly impact-resistant, offering superior protection for products during handling and transit. Its durability minimises the risk of breakage compared to traditional materials like glass, reducing waste and preventing product losses throughout the supply chain.
PET stands out with the lowest carbon footprint among packaging materials, thanks to its energy-efficient production and exceptional recyclability.
Join the movement shaping the future of circular food and beverage packaging.
Compared to packaging materials like glass, aluminium, and paper cartons, PET consistently proves to be the more sustainable, cost-effective, and practical choice.
Let’s take a closer look at how PET outshines these alternatives:
For every 355 ml glass bottle produced, the energy consumption is five times higher than that of producing a 591 ml PET bottle. This substantial environmental impact is amplified by rising global energy costs and ongoing supply chain challenges affecting glass availability.
Additionally, glass is far more fragile and prone to breakage during transit, increasing the risk of product loss and waste. Its limited design flexibility also makes it less suited for innovative packaging solutions, restricting brands from creating unique, functional, and consumer-friendly designs.
Paper cartons, especially aseptic ones, are made from a multi-material structure combining paper, plastic, and aluminium, which makes them challenging to separate for recycling. Unlike PET, which can be recycled repeatedly without losing quality or durability, paper cartons cannot incorporate recycled content and must rely on virgin paper. This limits their circularity and increases their overall environmental impact.
While aluminium is a lightweight material commonly used in packaging, it comes with significant environmental and production challenges compared to PET. The production of aluminium generates around 175 million tons of red mud annually—a hazardous byproduct of bauxite mining that poses serious environmental risks.
Additionally, aluminium cans require a higher-grade alloy for their lids compared to their bodies, limiting how much recycled material from used cans can be reused in new ones. To achieve the necessary alloy composition, virgin or secondary aluminium sources must be added, further impacting sustainability.
A European pasta sauce brand recently transformed its packaging by switching from traditional glass jars to PET. This move replaced their 37-gram glass jar with a PET jar that’s nearly 90% lighter, all while maintaining the same content volume. The new PET jar is 100% recyclable and works seamlessly with the brand’s existing filling and capping equipment, avoiding costly production line upgrades.
*Case study courtesy of Husky
A ready-to-serve soup company made the switch from a 1-litre paper carton to a 750 ml PET bottle, achieving 100% recyclability with bottle-to-bottle potential. The change not only enhanced sustainability but also improved the consumer experience with UV protection and a more convenient pouring design. Additionally, the premium PET packaging boosted the company’s ROI by 20%, demonstrating how PET can drive both performance and profitability.
*Case study courtesy of Husky
