PETCO is responsible for recycling plastic bottles, they projected to recycle 54% in 2016 and did a great job by recycling 55%. That’s 822% growth since 2005!
PETCO is responsible for collecting and recycling PET plastic bottles. PET is a formulation of plastic that is able to be “recycled” to reuse the material out of which they are made and to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills.
PET bottles are made of one of the few polymers that can be recycled into the same form – a new beverage bottle – again and again. This neatly closes the recycling loop and enables ‘cradle to cradle’ packaging solutions.
PETCO had forecast that in 2016 they would aim for a recycling rate of 54% and instead achieved a rate of 55%.
“PETCO is delighted with the latest figures,” says CEO Cheri Scholtz. “Through the remarkable network of people, companies and organisations we work with, 2 billion PET bottles were collected for recycling across South Africa during the course of 2016, creating some 62 000 income opportunities for small and micro-collectors, and changing their lives and those of their families in immeasurable ways.”
Recycled PET (rPET) is used for numerous applications. From reusable carry bags to roof insulation, there are recycled plastics all around us.
PETCO is making huge changes in terms of recycling plastic in South Africa. Since 2004 the company has managed to pay out over R1.9 billion to PET collectors and the recycling has resulted in almost 800 000 tonnes of carbon and over 3 million m3 of landfill space saved to date.
“While this is an extremely proud accomplishment for PETCO, we could not have achieved this without the dedicated partners we work with that have made extraordinary contributions to the recycling of post-consumer PET in South Africa, thereby enabling PETCO to expand our collection network, build relationships with recyclers, seek new opportunities to develop and support entrepreneurs, and ultimately grow our recycling tonnages.” – Durandt, Chairman of PETCO and Senior Technical Operations Manager Coca-Cola Southern and East Africa
If you are interested in helping the recycling cause you can find your nearest PETCO drop off site here. You can also check for local NGO’s and schools that collect and deliver the plastic bottles to PETCO.
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