PCR is derived from post-consumer recycled content – mostly materials that have been recovered or diverted from your local municipal solid waste stream. A good example is a plastic water bottle tossed into a curb-side recycle bin. Instead of that item going to a landfill, it goes to a recycling center where it is processed and reconstituted into an acceptable aftermarket resin material. That material is then sold to converters who turn it into usable bottles, jars and closures once again. Thermoplastics, such as PET, are generally easy to recycle because the polymer chain breaks down at a relatively low temperature, so there is no degradation of the polymer chain during the recycling process. This allows PET to be recycled many times before it becomes unusable, though contamination can reduce the number of ‘closed loop’ cycles that PET can go through.


By using PCR, we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and improve the environmental impact of packaging by reducing the amount of waste going into landfills. Post-consumer recycled plastic (PCR) makes all the sense in the world. It is cost competitive, available, and creates greater positive impact than other choices. For example, the carbon footprint of manufacturing 100% PCR Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), like in a water bottle, is 60% lower than virgin PET – and that includes all the energy to collect, recycle, and remanufacture the plastic.