India’s PET bottle recycling market worth 35 billion rupees

India – Nearly 70% of polyethylene terephthalate bottles are recycled in India, and the market is worth an estimated 35 billion rupees (US$ 530+ million) per year, according to a new report by the country’s National Chemical Laboratory.

Some 900 000 tonnes of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is produced annually in India, 65% of which is recycled at registered facilities. At least 15% of recycling activity takes place within the country’s so-called ‘unorganised sector’ while approximately 10% of PET is reused in homes, the National Chemical Laboratory indicates.

The research was commissioned by the PET Packaging Association for Clean Environment in 2016 in order to arrive at a deeper and ‘robust’ understanding of end-of-life plastics across India, specifically PET bottles.