Recycled PET (rPET) is the clearest lever a beverage brand has to cut packaging carbon. But it changes the cost line too, so the decision is a trade-off, not a switch.
| Attribute | Virgin PET | Food-grade rPET |
|---|---|---|
| CO₂e factor (per kg) | ≈2.34 kg CO₂e | ≈0.60 kg CO₂e |
| Packaging carbon | Higher baseline | Clearest lever to cut it |
| Resin cost | Baseline | Often a price premium |
| Market availability | — | Swings with the market |
The CO₂ side
Published LCA factors put virgin PET at ≈2.34 and food-grade rPET at ≈0.60 kg CO₂e per kg. Blending rPET lowers the order’s footprint roughly in proportion to the recycled fraction — a 50% blend cuts close to a third of the resin CO₂e.
The cost side
Food-grade rPET often carries a price premium over virgin and its availability swings with the market. The right rPET % is the point where your sustainability target and landed cost meet — and it can differ per SKU.
See your trade-off
In Order & Impact, enter your resin price and rPET %: it shows the CO₂e and saving at 0/25/50/100% rPET next to the material cost, so you can read the trade-off at a glance.