“Bottle-to-Bottle” in Rostock, Germany

In Rostock, Germany, Veolia gives plastic bottles a second life through a PET (Poly Ethylene Terephthalate) plastic recycling process. 1 billion plastic bottles are recycled each year for food use.

Once used, the plastic bottles are collected, transported to the waste recycling center and sorted according to color. The sorted bottles are shredded to obtain PET flakes and washed in hot water. A mechanical and chemical recovery process transforms the flakes into a product suitable for food use. They are then purified before being packaged for shipment to bottle manufacturers. Up to 50% of recycled PET can be used to produce new bottles.


Recycling PET to reduce the impact on climate

One metric ton of recycled PET flakes is equivalent to 1.5 metric tons of CO2 emissions avoided. The "bottle-to-bottle" process eliminates the melting stage in recycling, saving more than 31,000 tons of oil and close to 113,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent annually. Manufacturing a plastic bottle with recycled PET rather than virgin PET reduces CO2 emissions by 70%. 

1 billion bottles recycled annually

31,000 tons of oil saved per year

113,000 metric tons of CO2 equivalent avoided each year


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