Home About APR APR Committee Work PET Technical Committee

PET Technical Committee

  • APR Committee Work

    • The PET Technical Committee is responsible for:

    • Maintaining the section of the APR Design® Guide that speaks to rigid PET packaging. This scope includes injection stretch blow molded containers, extrusion blow molded containers, and thermoformed packages.
    • Providing continuous improvement to existing test methods as well as developing new test methods that evaluate the compatibility of PET packaging with today’s industrial recycling processes. Test method development supports APR’s Design® Recognition Program.
    • Developing educational materials impacting PET recycling
    • Sponsoring work groups that engage stakeholders in the PET recycling value chain in developing new content for the APR Design® Guide

    This committee has addressed topics such as:

    • A test to use to make sure NIR sorting is accurate
    • A test to ensure that a label does not interfere with PET recycling
    • Select PET resins with good color and heat stability

    Current Working Groups

    rPET Color Reduction Working Group

    This group is working to reduce color and haze in recycled PET (rPET) by:

    • Identifying sources of contamination that create color and haze in rPET
    • Developing effective and reliable test methods to evaluate and rank sources of contamination and which can be used enable more rapid industry innovation
    • Creating educational materials to encourage innovation

    PET Labels Working Group

    This group is working to reduce the impacts of labels on the PET recycling process by:

    • Improving existing test methods
    • Creating new test methods that can accelerate innovation
    • Developing data to illustrate the impact of labels on PET recycling
    • Evaluating steps that can be taken to reduce the impact of full coverage shrink labels on PET recycling

    PET Additives Working Group

    This group is working to develop test methods to evaluate any impact of additives used in PET packaging on recycling. These test methods will support APR’s Design® Recognition Program. An initial focus of the working group is creating a test method that can be used to provide APR Design® Recognition for toners that are widely used in PET.

    PET Reclaimers Working Group

    The PET Reclaimers Working Group is open to all APR PET reclaimer members: companies that wash and process recycled PET material. This group is a forum where the common industry impacts of PET packaging materials and designs on the productivity and quality of PET recycling can be identified and prioritized. Feedback from this group helps inform the priorities of the PET Technical Committee. This working group can also provide expertise and industry experience that informs and influences the efforts of other working groups.

    Questions About This Committee?

    Contact Us