Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Sustainable Plastics
  • Rubber News
Subscribe
  • Login
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • News
    • Processor News
    • Suppliers
    • More News
    • Digital Edition
    • End Markets
    • Special Reports
    • Newsletters
    • Resin pricing news
    • Videos
    • Injection Molding
    • Blow Molding
    • Film & Sheet
    • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
    • Rotomolding
    • Thermoforming
    • Recycling
    • Machinery
    • Materials
    • Molds/Tooling
    • Product news
    • Design
    • Mergers & Acquisitions
    • Sustainability
    • Public Policy
    • Material Insights Videos
    • Numbers that Matter
    • Automotive
    • Packaging
    • Medical
    • Consumer Products
    • Construction
    • CEO Issue
    • Diversity
    • Best Places to Work
      • 2022 winners
    • Processor of the Year
    • Rising Stars
    • Women Breaking the Mold
  • Opinion
    • The Plastics Blog
    • Kickstart
    • One Good Resin
    • BRICS and Plastics
    • All Things Data
    • Viewpoint
    • From Pillar to Post
    • Perspective
    • Mailbag
    • Fake Plastic Trees
  • Shop Floor
    • Blending
    • Compounding
    • Drying
    • Injection Molding
    • Purging
    • Robotics
    • Size Reduction
    • Structural Foam
    • Tooling
    • Training
  • Events
    • K Show Livestream
    • Plastics News Events
    • Industry Events
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Livestreams/Webinars
    • Editorial Livestreams
    • Ask the Expert
    • Plastics News Events Library
    • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Plastics News Executive Forum
    • Injection Molding & Design Expo
    • Plastics News Caps & Closures
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
    • Plastics in Automotive
    • Reuters Responsible Business Europe 2022
    • Reifenhäuser Technologies Livestreams
    • Polymer Points Live
    • Numbers that Matter Live
    • Plastics in Politics Live
    • Sustainable Plastics Live
    • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
    • Plastics in Healthcare Library
    • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
  • Resin Prices
    • All Resins
    • Commodity TPs
    • High Temp TPs
    • ETPs
    • Thermosets
    • Recycled Plastics
    • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
    • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
    • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
    • Historic Thermosets
    • Historic Recycled Plastics
  • Rankings & Data
    • Injection Molders
    • Blow Molders
    • Film Sheet
    • Thermoformers
    • Pipe Profile Tubing
    • Rotomolders
    • Mold/Toolmakers
    • LSR Processors
    • Recyclers
    • Compounders - List
    • Association - List
    • Plastic Lumber - List
    • All
  • Directory
  • Custom
    • Sponsored Content
    • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
    • Conair Sponsored Content
    • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
    • ENGEL Sponsored Content
    • White Papers
    • Classifieds
    • Place an Ad
    • Sign up for Early Classified
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. News
February 27, 2018 01:00 AM

California rules: No more No. 1 resin code for PETG

Jim Johnson
Staff Writer
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    PETG recycling graphic
    Jessica Jordan, Plastics News, iStock photo

    The new law, which becomes effective Oct. 1, defines PET through certain characteristics, including its “melting peak temperature.”

    When is PET not PET? When it is PETG.

    To the typical consumer, the difference between PET and glycol-modified PET is simply a letter.

    But to a polymer scientist worth her molecular weight, there's a huge difference. Especially when it comes to recycling.

    And that's why the Association of Plastic Recyclers worked for years to clarify that difference in California, culminating in the recent passage of a new law that defines exactly what constitutes PET. 

    (September 2021: California cracks down on recyclability claims)

    A workhorse of the container business, PET is the most recycled resin, especially in bottle bill states like California, where there is a financial incentive to recapture the material.

    The resin identification code for years has labeled PET as a No. 1. But some PETG-container makers also have been putting a No. 1 code on their products.

    And that's a problem because PET and PETG perform differently during the recycling process, explained APR Technical Director John Standish. (August 2021: Marketing measure targets plastic packaging)

    “It's distinctly different,” he said. “It might sound silly, but people go, ‘It's polyester, and all polyesters are 
the same.' And no, they are not.”

    PETG flakes, when recycled, end up glomming on to PET flake to create clumps that disrupt processes and equipment.

    “PETG is a copolymer. So it's a polyester. But it's a different composition than the PET that's used to make injection stretch blow molded bottles, which are what a Coke bottle, a Pepsi bottle, a single-serve water bottle [are made from],” Standish said.

    The introduction of glycol to create PETG from PET creates a distinct material, one that performs differently during processing as well as recycling.

    PETG, in the thermoformed container market, is used in food packaging. It's also frequently used to package medical devices and electronics.

    It's typically a shade of blue in thermoformed medical applications, and not typically found in the recycling stream, Standish explained.

    “All we really did in California, we introduced a piece of legislation that really clarified their existing law,” APR Executive Director Steve Alexander said. “All we did was just reinforce the definition of what PET was for the purposes of the resin identification code in California.”

    California emerged as an important market to make the distinction due to the state's Rigid Plastic Packaging Container Law, which assesses fees to container- makers based on the resin used, Alexander explained.

    “There's a huge financial incentive to label your product anything but a [No.] 7, if you will, so that's certainly a part of it. But there's also, I guess you would say, the negative connotation of a 7 being less than optimally recyclable,” Alexander said.

    PETG, he said, “wasn't a 1, that's all we were saying, and the legislature agreed with us.”

    “We've probably been complaining about it for six or seven years. We struggled to come up with a solution,” the executive director said.

    Earlier work involved trying to create change through the ASTM industry standards process, but that didn't go anywhere.

    “We just decided to take a shot legislatively, and we were able to be successful. It's been a recognized problem for quite a long time,” Alexander said.

    “We created legislation that simply was the definition of what PET is. It doesn't even mention PETG. There could be other potential contaminants we eliminated as well, but PETG was the primary one we were focusing on,” he said.

    It's no surprise that polymer chemistry can get confusing to the layman, so here's the language from the new law, AB 906:

    “Polyethylene terephthalate is generally referred to as PET; it is also known as PETE, which is used in California statute. PET is widely used in water and soft drink bottles and is used for a variety of other products. PET is recyclable; PET flakes and pellets are commonly recycled into other types of packaging and fiber (e.g., carpet and microfiber).

    “Polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified (PETG) refers to PET plastic resin with the addition of glycol. PETG eliminates hazing that can occur when manufacturing PET containers and is less brittle than PET. PETG also produces a softer and more pliable exterior surface, which is viewed by some as more comfortable to hold for consumers. Unlike PET, PETG does not have a consistent melting point and becomes molten when heated.

    “Because both PET and PETG are comprised of polyethylene terephthalate, they are both required to be labeled with the ‘1' resin code. However, PET has a much higher processing temperature than PETG. This creates significant challenges for recycling. When processed together, PETG melts and becomes sticky while PET remains solid. This results in PETG sticking to PET chips, forming large clumps that cannot be processed. This bill revises the definition of polyethylene terephthalate to exclude PETG so that the materials can be effectively sorted prior to recycling,” the analysis states.

    The new law, which becomes effective Oct. 1, defines PET through certain characteristics, including its “melting peak temperature.”

    Recent related articles
    Recyclability claims face increased examination
    California eyes limits to recyclability marketing that could hit PP, thermoformed packaging
    California cracks down on recyclability marketing, pushes for national debate
    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Numbers That Matter Live
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

    Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you'd like to share with our readers? Plastics News would love to hear from you. Email your letter to Editor at [email protected]

    Most Popular
    1
    Eastman Chemical looking to build another major plastics recycling facility
    2
    One killed, two injured in shooting at WeatherTech facility
    3
    Lawmakers face deadline on California plastics referendum
    4
    Advantek has new majority owner
    5
    For injection molding, ‘little' isn't the same as ‘not big'
    SIGN UP FOR TO RECEIVE THESE EMAILS AND ENEWSLETTERS
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    Get our newsletters

    Staying current is easy with Plastics News delivered straight to your inbox, free of charge.

    Subscribe today

    Subscribe to Plastics News

    Subscribe now
    Connect with Us
    • LinkedIn
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Instagram

    Plastics News covers the business of the global plastics industry. We report news, gather data and deliver timely information that provides our readers with a competitive advantage.

    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit MI 48207-2997

    Customer Service:
    877-320-1723

    Resources
    • About
    • Staff
    • Editorial Calendar
    • Media Kit
    • Data Store
    • Digital Edition
    • Custom Content
    • People
    • Contact
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
    Related Crain Publications
    • Sustainable Plastics
    • Rubber News
    • Urethanes Technology
    • European Rubber Journal
    • Tire Business
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Copyright © 1996-2022. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • News
      • Processor News
        • Injection Molding
        • Blow Molding
        • Film & Sheet
        • Pipe/Profile/Tubing
        • Rotomolding
        • Thermoforming
        • Recycling
      • Suppliers
        • Machinery
        • Materials
        • Molds/Tooling
        • Product news
        • Design
      • More News
        • Mergers & Acquisitions
        • Sustainability
        • Public Policy
        • Material Insights Videos
        • Numbers that Matter
      • Digital Edition
      • End Markets
        • Automotive
        • Packaging
        • Medical
        • Consumer Products
        • Construction
      • Special Reports
        • CEO Issue
        • Diversity
        • Best Places to Work
          • 2022 winners
        • Processor of the Year
        • Rising Stars
        • Women Breaking the Mold
      • Newsletters
      • Resin pricing news
      • Videos
    • Opinion
      • The Plastics Blog
      • Kickstart
      • One Good Resin
      • BRICS and Plastics
      • All Things Data
      • Viewpoint
      • From Pillar to Post
      • Perspective
      • Mailbag
      • Fake Plastic Trees
    • Shop Floor
      • Blending
      • Compounding
      • Drying
      • Injection Molding
      • Purging
      • Robotics
      • Size Reduction
      • Structural Foam
      • Tooling
      • Training
    • Events
      • K Show Livestream
      • Plastics News Events
        • Plastics News Executive Forum
        • Injection Molding & Design Expo
        • Plastics News Caps & Closures
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum
        • Plastics in Automotive
      • Industry Events
      • Injection Molding & Design Expo
      • Livestreams/Webinars
        • Reuters Responsible Business Europe 2022
        • Reifenhäuser Technologies Livestreams
      • Editorial Livestreams
        • Polymer Points Live
        • Numbers that Matter Live
        • Plastics in Politics Live
        • Sustainable Plastics Live
      • Ask the Expert
      • Plastics News Events Library
        • Plastics Caps & Closures Library
        • Plastics in Healthcare Library
        • Women Breaking the Mold Networking Forum Library
      • Processor of the Year submissions
    • Resin Prices
      • All Resins
      • Commodity TPs
        • Historic Commodity Thermoplastics
      • High Temp TPs
        • Historic High Temp Thermoplastics
      • ETPs
        • Historic Engineering Thermoplastics
      • Thermosets
        • Historic Thermosets
      • Recycled Plastics
        • Historic Recycled Plastics
    • Rankings & Data
      • Injection Molders
      • Blow Molders
      • Film Sheet
      • Thermoformers
      • Pipe Profile Tubing
      • Rotomolders
      • Mold/Toolmakers
      • LSR Processors
      • Recyclers
      • Compounders - List
      • Association - List
      • Plastic Lumber - List
      • All
    • Directory
    • Custom
      • Sponsored Content
      • LS Mtron Sponsored Content
      • Conair Sponsored Content
      • KraussMaffei Sponsored Content
      • ENGEL Sponsored Content
      • White Papers
      • Classifieds
        • Place an Ad
        • Sign up for Early Classified