PET Plastics – Versatile and Recyclable
While PET plastics might sound like they have something to do with your dog or cat, they’re actually a versatile kind of plastic that has many applications. The name for PET plastics comes from an acronym of the base chemical polyethylene terephthalate. You may have heard of it called by a popular brand name like Dacron.
What are PET plastics?
PET plastics are clear, flexible, and very durable. Not only that, but they are lightweight, too. These characteristics make them the perfect container for a variety of uses. You can identify a PET plastic by checking the recycling symbol on a plastic product. If the symbol has a number 1 within the recycling arrows, then the product is made of PET plastic.
Perhaps the best part about PET plastics is that they are 100% recyclable. Currently, about 29% of PET plastics in America are recycled. When recycled, PET plastics can be processed in a couple of ways. One is to simply melt them down so that they can be used in new lower-grade plastics. They can also be broken down into their monomers and reassembled into a new food-grade plastic product.
Worst case scenario, if PET plastic is thrown away instead of recycled, it still won’t contaminate land or water in the area. PET plastics don’t biodegrade, so they will not break down into harmful microplastics that find their way into the dirt or any surrounding bodies of water.
Uses of PET plastics
There’s a high chance that if you walked into your kitchen or bathroom, you would find at least one PET plastic product. Because of their flexibility, durability, lightweight, and recyclability, PET plastics are a popular choice in many industries.
PET plastics are used in water bottles, shampoo bottles, polyester fabric, and much more. Here are some other common PET plastic applications:
- Condiment containers/bottles
- Microwaveable containers
- Vitamin bottles
- Windshield wiper arms
- Automotive headlamp retainers
- Automotive engine covers
- Lamination
Plastic Service Center | PET plastics, large-scale recycling, & more!
Plastic Service Center is set up to fulfill all of your company’s plastic resin needs! From our highly trained support staff to our 4,000,000+ pound inventory to the strategically placed plants that allow us to ship quickly throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico, we can get you exactly what you need at a moment’s notice. We offer recycling services as well, and we can handle as much recycling as you can throw at us.
To learn more about our selection of PET plastic resins and our recycling process, give us a call now at (888) 44-PLASTIC or send in an online contact form for a quote on our products and services!