India recycles 95% of used PET bottles

What happens to the innumerable empty cola and Bisleri bottles we carelessly litter at our bus stands, railway stations, public streets or water bodies? The answer is surprising. Experts say India has the most efficient PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) recycling system in the world, with 95% of used PETs being recycled in India. More surprisingly, they say that the US and many European nations are the worst handlers of PET trash. However, India is tightening rules related to PET recycling, and thus the industry is poised to grow big shortly.

The India Government's 2022 Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules stipulate extended producer responsibility (EPR) and mandate that brand owners include at least 30% post-consumer recycled content in PET bottles by 2025, which will gradually increase to 60% by 2029.

Today, approximately 1.8 billion plastic bottles are discarded daily across the globe. Regarding carbonated drinks usage, the US has the largest per capita consumption – 120 litres, followed by  Germany with 89 litres. In China, carbonated drink consumption is 13 litres per person and in Japan, it is 25 litres. India’s consumption of carbonated drinks is comparatively very low, at 5 litres per capita. 

However, India recorded the highest volume-wise growth, at over 13% per litre in 2022-23, whereas growth in the US was -1.3%, says Vivek Tandon, founder of Germany-headquartered revalyu Resources, which is setting up the world’s largest PET recycling plant at a single location at Nashik in Maharashtra. According to Bhadresh Dodhia, director of the Association of PET Recyclers (BHARAT), India has an annual capacity of 5 lakh tonnes of PET recycling capacity. In the last three years, the sector attracted an investment of over ₹10,000 crore.

‘’India has a 30-year-old mechanical recycling organised industry and has a robust PET recycling ecosystem, spanning rag pickers to various aggregators and recyclers. Thus, 95% (1.63 million tonnes) of PET bottles (mainly in mineral water and carbonated beverages) used in India are recycled for new uses,’’ he says. India’s PET manufacturing installed capacity is about 2.2 million tonnes, while PET demand is only 1.7 million tonnes. While India exports 0.6 million tonnes, imports are around 0.1 million tonnes.

About 0.80 tonnes are recycled into staple fibres, 0.18 million tonnes into filament yarn, 0.45 million tonnes back to bottles again, 0.04 million tonnes as sheeting, 0.03 million tonnes as strappings, 0.05 million tonnes as films and other packaging material, besides 0.08 million tonnes as flake exports. About 105 units make flakes, and another 50 units make fibre and yarn. India’s plastics recycling market is estimated at 9.9 million tonnes in 2023 and is projected to become 23.7 million tonnes by 2032, with a compound annual growth rate of 9.86%.