Guide
PET Bottle Recycling Process
How a used plastic bottle becomes clean PET flakes ready for manufacturing, in eight steps.
PET is fully recyclable. In mechanical recycling — the method used for the large majority of PET recycled in India — bottles are cleaned and cut into flakes without changing the polymer chemically. The flakes are then melted by manufacturers and formed into new products.
The eight steps of PET recycling
Collection and baling
Used PET bottles are collected from households, businesses, kabadiwalas and scrap dealers, then pressed into bales so they can be transported efficiently.
Sorting
Bales are opened and bottles are sorted by polymer and by colour. Non-PET items such as PVC, HDPE and PP containers, metal and other waste are removed. Good sorting is the single biggest factor in final flake quality.
Label and cap removal
Labels, sleeves and caps are separated as far as possible. PVC shrink labels are a particular concern because even small amounts of PVC damage PET during melting.
Grinding
Sorted bottles are fed into a grinder (crusher) with water and cut into flakes, typically 8 to 14 mm across.
Washing
Flakes are washed to remove dirt, drink residue, paper and glue. In hot washing, flakes are agitated in hot water with caustic soda and detergent, which gives a much cleaner product than cold washing alone.
Float-sink separation
PET is denser than water and sinks, while polyolefin cap and label pieces (PP and PE) float. A float-sink tank uses this difference to separate them.
Rinsing and drying
Clean flakes are rinsed to remove chemicals, then spun in a mechanical dryer and finished with hot air to bring moisture down.
Quality check and packing
Finished flakes are checked for colour, moisture and contamination, and packed in jumbo bags ready for dispatch to manufacturers.
What happens to the flakes next?
Washed flakes go to manufacturers who dry them thoroughly, melt them and either spin them into polyester fibre, extrude them into sheet, strapping or monofilament, or use them as chemical feedstock. Some flakes are first converted into uniform rPET granules. See uses of PET flakes.
Why PET recycling matters
- Less waste: every bottle recycled is one that does not end up in a landfill, drain or river.
- Less energy and oil: making products from rPET uses less energy than producing virgin PET from crude-oil derivatives.
- Livelihoods: PET collection and recycling supports a large network of waste collectors, scrap dealers and recyclers across India.
- Regulation: the Plastic Waste Management Rules and EPR obligations require producers and brand owners to ensure plastic packaging is collected and recycled.
PET recycling by Shree Hari Polymers
Shree Hari Polymers is a plastic waste recycling business in Sahibabad, Ghaziabad, specialising in PET. We collect and process PET bottle waste and supply recycled PET to the fibre, sheet, chemical and monofilament industries. To buy flakes or discuss PET scrap, get in touch.