PET or PETE (polyethylene terephthalate) - 01

You might be surprised to know that we don't use plastic resin identification codes to decide if something can be recycled. In fact, our recycling contract with the company that separates the recycling (Biffa) includes a long list of items that can be recycled, not a list of plastic types. Read more about this in our article Do plastic codes tell you if something is recyclable? (opens in a new window).

To check if something is recyclable, either search for the individual item on our A-Z function (opens in a new window), or check on our recycling page (opens in a new window).

What sort of things are made out of PET?

PET or PETE (polyethene terephthalate) is the most common plastic for single-use bottled drinks because it's lightweight, and easy to recycle. This type of plastic is normally clear or transparent. It poses low risk of leaching breakdown products. It’s the most recycled plastic on the European market (51% of clear PET bottles and 14% of coloured PET bottles get recycled) and it’s in high demand by manufacturers. It is used to make bottles for soft drinks, water, ketchup, mouthwash, salad dressing and oil. It’s also used to make some plastic tubs.