rPET Material Market Sales Situation
Sustained Growth in Sales Volume: In 2024, the usage of rPET in Europe’s food and beverage industry exceeded 420,000 tons, accounting for 31% of the total plastic tableware market . The Chinese rPET market was valued at 150 billion RMB in 2022, representing a 12% year-on-year growth, and is projected to surpass 250 billion RMB by 2027 .
Extensive Brand Applications: In 2023, Mars Wrigley China launched its first product packaging in the market using 100% rPET for its Crispy Rice chocolate bowl lid, which is expected to reduce virgin plastic use by 36 tons annually . The company plans to extend rPET material to packaging for products like Snickers and M&M’S, targeting an annual reduction of 300 tons of virgin plastic use .
Strong International Demand: In 2024, The Coca-Cola Company procured approximately 300,000 tons of food-grade rPET, accounting for 30% of its packaging materials, while PepsiCo procured about 250,000 tons, making up 28% of its packaging materials . These two companies are expected to increase their procurement volumes to 350,000 tons and 300,000 tons respectively by 2025 .
Expansion into New Applications: rPET tableware has expanded from traditional food packaging into areas such as inflight catering, takeaway packaging, and hotel supplies . The International Air Transport Association estimates that global airlines will consume 12 billion units of rPET tableware before 2028, accounting for 65% of total aviation plastic products .
Technical Advantages and Certifications
The companies generally utilize both physical and chemical recycling technologies . Their products have obtained international certifications such as FDA, GRS, and LFGB, can withstand temperatures above 150°C, are microwave-safe, and are free from BPA and heavy metals . Physical recycling technology, enhanced by efficient sorting equipment, has increased processing capacity to 8 tons per hour while reducing sorting costs by 40% .
Policy Support
The EU’s Single-Use Plastics Directive mandates that by 2030, recycled content in food-contact plastic products must be no less than 50% . China’s “14th Five-Year Plan” for Plastic Pollution Management explicitly includes rPET tableware in the government’s priority procurement catalog . These policies provide strong support for the industry’s development .