EUWID - Recycling and Waste Management

More PET bottles were collected across Europe last year than during the year before, according to the organisation PET Container Recycling Europe (Petcore). The 2009 figures released by the group on Monday put the collection volume at 1.4m tonnes, and with that around 8 per cent more than in 2008. The collection rate rose from 6 to 48.4 per cent. The fibre industry processed the largest share of used bottles, accounting for 40 per cent of the market, down from 45 per cent the year before. The strapping market was the hardest hit by the recession, but still consumed 7 per cent of collected PET bottles. Petcore estimated that Europe has a total processing capacity of 1.6m tonnes for PET bottles.