Sidel announces RePETable offer to improve recycled PET performance

16 Jun 2023 --- Sidel is demonstrating its know-how in recycled PET (rPET) by launching its RePETable offer aimed to help the packaging industry make an efficient transition to rPET bottle production while offering support to improve the circularity of primary packaging.

“To reach the same level of performance as virgin PET, the rPET bottle production process needs to be adapted to suit the resin used,” says Jérôme Neveu, packaging and molds product manager at Sidel.

“Our RePETable offer is made of solutions to address the challenges associated with rPET bottle production securing bottle mechanical resistance with optimum material stretchability and bottle shaping.” 

The RePETable offer is a range of services dedicated to rPET, designed to extend virgin PET benefits to rPET and achieve consistent production performance and bottle quality. Sidel’s packaging experts continue developing advanced knowledge about rPET resin and solutions for efficient bottle production by leveraging its small-scale recycling pilot line in France. 

The RePETable offer has been designed for customers to pick and choose services that best suit their needs. It is additional to Sidel’s packaging optimization services for lighter bottle weight, helping customers make a cost-efficient transition to rPET.

The rPET bottle production process needs to be adapted to suit the resin used.Food-grade loop
With the RePETable offer, Sidel targets creating a “virtuous” closed-loop process for food-grade rPET bottles. 

“While PET is already fully compliant with the circular economy compared to other plastic packaging materials, combining lightweight and rPET is the fastest way to reach carbon neutrality,” says Naima Boutroy, packaging expert global at Sidel. 

“Lifecycle analysis shows that PET already has the best carbon footprint of all the packaging materials currently available. Creating a robust recycling loop to achieve full circularity at scale will make PET an even more sustainable choice.”

The company details that as the demand for rPET continues to rise, driven by regulations worldwide and brands’ commitment to packaging circularity, the cost of rPET is fluctuating and remains higher than that of virgin PET. 

“Sidel’s packaging optimization services for bottle weight reduction help offset rPET resin costs and achieve savings with a quick payback,” it states.

Recyclable primary packaging
Sidel elaborates that its investment in small-scale recycling pilot line supports primary packaging suppliers in innovating with new materials for closure, sleeve, glue, label, additives, coloring and any other primary packaging material. Sidel’s packaging and equipment experts study and advise on all aspects of rPET bottle production.

The services delivered through this pilot line ensure primary packaging recycling process efficiency, resin quality and rPET bottle performance. Sidel uses this line to recreate every step of the recycling process, from washing, drying and pellet extrusion to crystallization and solid state polymerization, including dedicated process and laboratory controls. 

The company’s packaging and equipment experts study all aspects of the process, from post-consumer PET bales to flakes, including pellets ready to be injected into preform up to rPET bottle blow molding and industrialization. 

Sidel’s recycling approach is said to increase the market understanding of PET recycling and helps to verify that primary packaging material innovations comply with bottle-to-bottle recycling. 

In its portfolio of services under the RePETable offer, Sidel is bringing rPET-ready features with packaging services and mold solutions, equipment upgrades and process support, which achieve consistent production performance and bottle quality with up to 100% rPET. 

“We are continuing to innovate and find more breakthrough solutions for rPET bottle production,” concludes Neveu.

Edited by Radhika Sikaria