More and more manufactures are coming up with new ways to use post-consumer PET plastic. From park benches to roof insulation, there are recycled plastics all around us.

Carpet companies use recycled resin to make polyester carpets. PET is spun into fibre filling for pillows and quilts. Fibre is also used to make clothing, jackets and even polar fleeces. PET bottles may even reappear in the form of non-woven automotive carpets. The recycled material can also be rolled into clear sheets or ribbon (for VCR and audio-cassettes).

Spunbond is used to create geotextiles, a material with applications in roof insulation or as a means of combating soil erosion. Pellets are turned into engineering plastics, pumps, gears and chemical-resistant components.

Industrial applications of recycled PET include manufacturing strapping tapes, magnetic tapes on smart cards, X-ray film, cigarette filters and tennis ball felt. Often, the recycled material is simply returned to bottle manufacturers for re-use.

In South Africa, bottle-2-bottle recycling will soon be a reality, i.e. making new bottles out of a significant percentage of old bottles.

In short, recycling your plastic bottle not only saves landfill space, but it also creates a new product more efficiently. It’s a true investment in the product you’re purchasing. It’s not just a beverage bottle alongside your sandwich on your lunch break. It’s a new pullover fleece or carpeting for your car. Now that’s the epitome of product stewardship.