PET Packaging Sustainability

Preserving the planet and sustaining business growth work hand-in-hand at Amcor Rigid Plastics business. Product design plays a key role.

Lightweighting

During the last fiscal year, lighter weight PET containers from Amcor reduced resin consumption by 10 million pounds. Here are some examples:

• Big Mouth^TM, a new PET jar for hot filled foods. It is 86% lighter than glass and 34% lighter than traditional heat set PET.
• The new Amcor Active HingeTM reduces container weight as much as 20% in this family of 8, 10, 12 and 16-ounce bottles.

Post Consumer Recycled Material

Amcor consumes 30 to 40 million pounds of food grade Post Consumer Recycled (PCR) material annually and soon will nearly double that amount.

• Amcor commercialized the first 100% PCR packaging in the US for household cleaning product. This conversion for virgin PET to PCR reduced carbon dioxide (CO2e) emissions by 60%.

Reducing Our Carbon Footprint

Amcor Rigid Plastics is on track to reduce facility greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 10% by 2010, with a reduction goal of 60% by 2030.

• Amcor Rigid Plastics reduced electricity consumption in our North American facilities by over 5% in 2008. 
• The Amcor Rigid Plastics “Smash the Trash” programs have cut in-plant waste by 40%.
• Amcor Rigid Plastics has joined the SmartWay Transport Partnership, an innovation collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the freight industry designed to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing GHG and air pollution.
• Site-specific water management plans have been implemented to ensure responsible and efficient use of water resources.

PET is the most easily and widely recycled plastic material in the world. Post consumer PET material is commonly used in the manufacture of fabric, carpeting and strapping as well as into PET containers.