About PET

Thanks to its sustainable features, its use for designing purposes, its transparency and other benefits, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is increasingly chosen for a range of uses.

PET is a light material that is stronger than transparent polyester. It is used to produce packages for food related purposes and others.

Although it was originally produced to obtain fibres, PET started to be used in film packages in the mid 60s and after. At the start of the 70s, the blow molding technique to produce biaxially oriented bottles was commercially developed.

PET molding resins are mainly used to produce bottles.

The manufacturing of a PET bottle implies the use of raw material such as ethylene and paraxylene, which undergo a chemical transformation to obtain PET resin. This resin is then melted and injected in a mould used to create an initial shape (a sort of plastic test tube), which is finally moulded using the blowing technique (with high pressured air) to obtain the exact shape. The final product is transparent, strong and light.

Over the years, the PET industry’s interest for environmental considerations has led to a significant decrease in the quantity of raw material needed to produce bottles. Today, a PET bottle of 1.5 litres can be produced with only 35 grammes of raw material.

In addition, PET can be fully recycled. It was in 1977 that the first PET bottle was recycled. Soon, the fibre industry discovered the “new” source of material and started to use it in the manufacturing of textiles, rugs and non-woven cloths. Today, PET recycling is increasingly used in the fibre market.

The main reasons for PET’s success are its features:
–    Its hardness
–    Its weight
–    Its shaping and re-designing qualities
–    Its recycling properties
–    Its range of uses

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