rPET (recycled PET)

rPET (recycled PET, or recycled polyethylene terephthalate) is the commercial product of post-consumer PET bottle collection, washing, granulation, and optional solid-state polycondensation. It is available in three main forms in India's market: PET flake (washed, non-extruded, 2–15 mm chips); rPET pellets (extruded, standard grade for non-food applications); and food-grade rPET pellets (SSP-processed or depolymerisation-origin, for food and beverage contact). The largest end-use for rPET globally is polyester textile fibre (rPET staple and filament), but in India the food-grade beverage bottle reuse market is growing rapidly, driven by EPR mandates and brand owner commitments.

The quality of rPET is primarily characterised by its Intrinsic Viscosity (IV) — a measure of average polymer chain length. Virgin bottle-grade PET has IV of 0.76–0.84 dL/g. Mechanical recycling reduces IV by 0.05–0.15 dL/g per cycle. For rPET destined for PET bottle production, IV must be restored to 0.76–0.84 dL/g via SSP (Solid-State Polycondensation) at 200–220°C under vacuum or inert gas for 8–24 hours. For polyester fibre (POY, DTY), IV of 0.60–0.68 dL/g is sufficient — hence most Indian rPET ends up in textile fibre, where IV requirements are less stringent. Colour (measured as L*, b* values: high L* = bright/clear, low b* = low yellow) is the second key quality parameter — clear bottles produce rPET with L*>80, b*<5; mixed colour or green PET rPET has L*<70.

India's rPET market: approximately 800,000–1,000,000 TPA of PET bottles are collected annually in India's informal sector. Of this, roughly 60–70% is processed to PET flake and pellets by 500–700 recycling units. Approximately 40–50% of processed rPET goes to polyester fibre manufacturing (Tirupur, Surat, Panipat clusters); 15–20% to rPET pellets for packaging; and the remainder to strapping, sheet, and other applications. Food-grade rPET pellets (IV-restored, NABL-tested for migration limits) command Rs 85–120 per kg versus Rs 60–80 per kg for standard rPET pellets. The EPR mandate for minimum recycled content in plastic packaging (CPCB roadmap targets 30% rContent by 2025-26 for large brand owners) is the primary demand driver for food-grade rPET capacity expansion.

For Indian recyclers producing rPET, the strategic choice is between commodity rPET (high volume, lower quality, sold to fibre spinners — established market, thin margins) and food-grade rPET (lower volume, higher capex for SSP, demanding quality discipline, but Rs 20–40/kg premium and long-term supply contracts with beverage brand owners). The latter requires a full quality management system, third-party NABL-accredited migration testing, and often direct engagement with brand owner quality teams. IOCL and Reliance Industries are developing food-grade rPET supply chains in India under their EPR compliance programmes — these can be natural anchoring customers for new food-grade rPET capacity.