U.S. PET Bottle Recycling Rate Reaches 30-Year High

The U.S. PET bottle recycling rate reached new heights in 2023, according to the National Association for PET Container Resources’ (NAPCOR) “2023 PET Recycling Report.” The collection rate was 33% in 2023, up 4% from 29% in 2022 and was the highest recycling rate for PET in the U.S. since 1996.

Notes the report, this increase was due to the growth in PET plastic bottles collected and fewer bottles available for recycling compared to 2022. In 2023, the U.S. collected 1,962 million pounds of PET bottles for recycling, which was the highest annual weight for U.S. bottle collection ever recorded, up from 1,911 million pounds in 2022—an increase of 2.7%.

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The total pounds of PET bottles available for recycling in the U.S. in 2023 was 5,952 million lb, down 9.8% from 6,599 million pounds in 2022. Domestic sales of virgin and rPET resin to non-food/beverage bottle applications, e.g., personal care packaging and household cleaners, were down by significant margins compared to 2022.

As a result of voluntary brand commitments and legislation, including recent mandatory recycled-content laws, the trend of increasing rPET content in U.S. bottles has accelerated in recent years as well after remaining flat between 6 and 7% between 2014 and 2017. In 2023, the rate of rPET content in U.S. bottles reached an all-time high of 16.2%. The amount of rPET used in U.S. bottles in 2023 increased to 966 million pounds from 870 million pounds in 2022, an 11% difference. Of the total usage of recycled PET in U.S. and Canadian end markets, the fraction that went to bottle applications reached a new high of 59% in 2023, surpassing the previous record of 54% in 2022.

North America (the U.S., Canada, and Mexico) also achieved a significant milestone in recycling, reaching a new high of 41.3% in 2023, once again surpassing the global standard set by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation. In 2016, the foundation defined successful recycling as achieving a 30% recycling rate across regions with a combined population of at least 400 million. Since 2019, when NAPCOR began tracking the North American rate, the region’s PET bottle recycling rate has consistently exceeded the 30% benchmark.

Says NAPCOR Executive Director Laura Stewart, “PET plastic bottles play a vital role in a circular economy because they can be designed to be remade, and our members are working hard to ensure they get recycled. NAPCOR’s ‘2023 PET Recycling Report’ shows that while there were fewer PET bottles available to recycle in the U.S., there were still more PET bottles recycled in 2023, resulting in a higher recovery percentage. When manufacturers, consumers, retailers, and recyclers work together to ensure PET is selected, collected, and recycled, our planet reaps the rewards.”   PW

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