The types of products produced from recycled PET bottles are diversifying, with at least one inspired by measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
Under the law for recycling containers and packages, manufacturers are obliged to recycle PET bottles. Until recently, collected plastic bottles were most often reprocessed into food trays or egg packs.
But with a growing consumer awareness of environmental issues, the recycling of PET bottles is being done in new ways. The idea is to show corporate willingness to put importance on recycling and environmental protection.
This summer, Coca-Cola Japan Co. created about 10,000 face shields from recycled PET bottles as personal protection equipment in the fight against the novel coronavirus. The company provided the shields to medical institutions nationwide for free. "We wanted to show the possibility of making different products out of disposable plastic bottles," a company official said.
Anya Hindmarch, a British bag brand, launched a product -- named I AM A Plastic Bag -- made from plastic bottles in June. The bag has a cotton-like texture. It is woven from fibers created in the recycling process. The large size bag contains the equivalent of 32 PET bottles of the 500 milliliter size, and sells for 89,000 yen. Anya Hindmarch also makes pouches and card cases. "We adopted the idea of recycling during the manufacturing process of products. Many customers buy products with the same understanding as the background of the product," a company official said.
"Consumers should support companies working to protect the environment by actively purchasing bottles without plastic labels or products made from recycled PET bottles." said a senior researcher at the Nippon Association of Consumer Specialists, which studies environmental issues and consumer behavior.
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