(Picture: Edmar Chaperman)
Even with Growth, Recycling Rate Still Below Potential
Brazil recycled 410,000 tons of PET packaging in 2024, an amount 14% higher than the 359,000 tons recycled in 2022. The data comes from the 13th edition of the PET Recycling Census in Brazil, released this Monday (24th) by the Brazilian PET Industry Association (Abipet).
Despite the positive result, Abipet pointed out that the lack of effective public policies for selective collection hinders the proper disposal of packaging discarded by consumers, leading to idleness in the recycling sector.
Idleness in the PET Recycling Industry
“Recycling companies are operating with an average idleness of 23%, reaching peaks of up to 40%,” highlights the president of Abipet, Auri Marçon. “With this, the PET recycling industry is reaching its limit, as it does not have the necessary raw material for its production processes, while tons of packaging are destined for common landfills or improperly discarded in the environment,” he adds.
Destination of Recycled PET Packaging
According to the Abipet survey, in 2024, the main destination for recycled PET resin – representing 37% of the total – was the manufacture of new packaging, mainly used by the water, soft drinks, energy drinks, and other non-alcoholic beverages industries. The textile sector ranks second, with a consumption of 24% of the recycled resin, followed by the chemical industry (13%), the production of sheets and laminates (13%), and the manufacture of strapping tapes, used for packaging and closing boxes (10%).
Resumo em Português:
O Brasil reciclou 410 mil toneladas de embalagens PET em 2024, um aumento de 14% em relação a 2022. Apesar do crescimento, a Abipet destaca que a falta de coleta seletiva causa ociosidade no setor, com empresas operando com até 40% de capacidade não utilizada. A principal destinação do PET reciclado (37%) é a produção de novas embalagens para bebidas, seguida pelo setor têxtil (24%).
Resumen en Español:
Brasil recicló 410 mil toneladas de envases PET en 2024, un aumento del 14% en comparación con 2022. A pesar del crecimiento, Abipet destaca que la falta de recolección selectiva causa ociosidad en el sector, con empresas operando con hasta un 40% de capacidad no utilizada. El principal destino del PET reciclado (37%) es la producción de nuevos envases para bebidas, seguido por el sector textil (24%).
