Plastic bottle recycling

Patent Pending Bottles made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET, sometimes PETE) can be "recycled" to reuse the material out of which they are made and to reduce the amount of waste going into landfills. PET is semiporous and absorbs molecules of the food or beverage contained, and the residue is difficult to remove. Heating the plastic enough for sterilization would destroy it. Most recycled bottles are therefore used to make lower grade products, such as carpets.