BottletobottleRecycling

BottletobottleRecycling, commonly referred to as bottle-to-bottle recycling, is the closed-loop process of turning post-consumer PET beverage bottles into new PET bottles for food and beverage packaging. It aims to preserve polymer integrity through decontamination and controlled processing, enabling a continuous supply of food-grade resin. The term BottletobottleRecycling is sometimes used in industry contexts to denote this concept.

The process typically involves collection and sorting of beverage bottles, removal of non-PET materials and labels, washing and drying, grinding into flakes, and decontamination. In high-quality operations, the material undergoes melt filtration or solid-state polycondensation to reduce contaminants and restore intrinsic viscosity, producing food-grade rPET pellets or re-extruded resin. The material is then used to manufacture new preforms or directly extruded into bottles.

Food-contact safety is ensured through regulatory approvals and supplier certifications. Recycled PET used in bottle-to-bottle must meet standards for aroma, color, and contaminants; many regions require traceable supply chains and third-party testing. Bottle-to-bottle is often contrasted with bottle-to-film recycling (for non-food uses) and chemical recycling, which can reclaim monomers.

Key challenges include contamination control, energy use, fluctuations in PET resin prices, and ensuring a steady supply of clean post-consumer material. Advances in cleaning technologies, process controls, and policies that mandate recycled content are expanding the role of bottle-to-bottle recycling in circular economy strategies.