NAPCOR Releases 2024 PET Recycling Report Highlighting System Efficiency Gains and Continued Strength of PET Circularity

North American PET Bottle Collection Remains Above Global Benchmark, Despite Competition from Recycled PET Imports and a Lack of Growth in Post-Consumer Content in Bottles

MIDDLETON, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) today released its 2024 PET Recycling Report, the 30^th annual analysis of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) plastic recycling activity, providing a comprehensive look at PET bottle collection, recycling system performance, and end-market dynamics in the United States and Canada. This 30-year milestone reflects how far the PET recycling industry has progressed since NAPCOR first issued the report, while also underscoring the continued need for strong domestic recovery and end-market demand.

Despite ongoing market volatility, the report confirms that the PET industry remains resilient in North America, with the collection rate continuing to exceed internationally recognized benchmarks. Data from 2024 show early signs of improvements in system efficiency, driven by non-mechanical PET reclamation capacity and greater recovery of alternative feedstocks.

“Our new 2024 PET Recycling Report confirms what the data have consistently shown: PET recycling in North America works, and it works at scale,” stated Laura Stewart, executive director of NAPCOR. “Even amid market corrections and shifting supply dynamics, PET bottle collection continues to exceed global benchmarks, system efficiency is improving, and recovery of additional PET packaging—especially thermoforms—is accelerating. These results underscore the value of continued investment in recycling infrastructure and policies that strengthen domestic feedstock supply, support innovation, and ensure PET remains the leading material in the circular economy.”

Key Findings from the 2024 Report

Strong PET Bottle Collection Performance

In the United States, the PET bottle recycling rate was 30.2 percent in 2024, following 2023’s peak of 32.5 percent. (Note: 2023 figures have been updated since publication of the 2023 PET Recycling Report, reflecting new information received.) While this represents a year-over-year decrease, the rate remains above the previous decade’s average of 29.5 percent.

The North American PET bottle collection rate was 39.2 percent, remaining well above the 30 percent threshold established by the Ellen MacArthur Foundation to demonstrate that recycling works “in practice and at scale.” PET bottle collection rates in North America have exceeded 30 percent consistently since NAPCOR began tracking these metrics in 2019.

“Despite ongoing market pressures, the 2024 PET Recycling Rate reflects the resilience of North America’s domestic reclaimers,” said Tom Busard, NAPCOR Board Chair, Chief Polymers and Recycling Officer for Plastipak Packaging, Inc., and President of Clean Tech, Plastipak’s recycling affiliate. “The data also underscore the importance of strengthening domestic recycling infrastructure, expanding recovery of all PET packaging formats, and ensuring policies that support reliable end markets for recycled material.”

Growth in PET Thermoform Recovery Offsets Bottle Declines

While pounds of post-consumer PET bottles collected for recycling in the US decreased by 3.9 percent compared to 2023, total reclaimer inputs across the US and Canada increased by 1 percent, supported by sharp growth in non-bottle feedstocks.

PET thermoform recovery showed particularly strong gain, with 264 million pounds of PET thermoforms collected for recovery in the US and Canada in 2024, representing a 52 percent increase from the prior year. These gains demonstrate continued progress in capturing PET plastic packaging beyond bottles and in expanding the circular feedstock supply. While the gains in PET thermoform recovery should be matched by the corresponding demand for this material as feedstock, market demand has remained inconsistent.

Improved System Efficiency and Material Utilization

The 2024 report also documents significant improvements in the PET recycling system's efficiency. The ratio of total recovered outputs from PET reclamation in the US and Canada to incoming material increased from 81.5 percent in 2023 to 85.2 percent in 2024, reflecting greater recovery and recirculation of byproducts within the reclamation system.

In addition, US and Canadian reclaimers recycled nearly four times more non-traditional feedstock—aka material that is not post-consumer packaging, including byproducts from reclamation—than in 2023, driven by depolymerization technologies, a type of chemical recycling, operating at scale for the first time in 2024.

Recycled PET End-Market Trends

Sales of recycled PET (rPET) to US and Canadian end markets declined slightly, down 3 percent from 2023, while imports of rPET reached an all-time high, accounting for 23 percent of total rPET supply. Bottle applications continue to dominate demand, accounting for more than 60 percent of all rPET pounds sold domestically.

Average rPET content in US PET bottles measured 15.9 percent in 2024, remaining above the prior three-year average of 13.7 percent, despite a slight decrease from 2023 driven by increased volumes of virgin PET resin in the market.

About PET

PET (polyethylene terephthalate), identified by the #1 inside a triangle, is a clear, durable, and versatile plastic packaging material. It is accepted in virtually all US recycling programs and is recycled at higher rates than other plastics. Research shows that a typical PET soda bottle has a greenhouse gas footprint that is less than half that of an aluminum can and about a fifth that of a glass bottle, making PET the most environmentally friendly packaging option.

About NAPCOR’s PET Recycling Reports

NAPCOR’s PET Recycling Reports are the most comprehensive annual analysis of PET bottle and thermoform recycling in the US and North America, tracking collection rates, reclamation efficiency, end-market demand, and recycled content trends across the PET value chain.

NAPCOR’s 2024 PET Recycling Report is the 30th of its kind, based on survey data, interviews with market participants, import data, and independent analysis by NAPCOR. To mark the third decade of this work, NAPCOR unveiled a new design for its 2024 report, which includes data on:

• PET bottle recycling rates for North America and the US
• PET bale pricing, reclamation capacity, analysis of reclamation inputs, and post-consumer PET trade
• Clean outputs of PET reclamation and clear vs. non-clear rPET color analysis
• Material efficiency rate and reclamation byproducts
• rPET imports and end-use applications

“For 30 years, NAPCOR’s PET Recycling Reports have documented the growth, resilience, and evolution of the PET recycling industry, and I’ve had the privilege to be with NAPCOR throughout that entire journey,” added Busard. “What began as a small but important data exercise has become the authoritative source for understanding PET recycling in the United States. This 30th anniversary report not only reflects how far the industry has come, but also underscores why accurate, transparent data remains essential as we work to expand recycling, strengthen domestic supply, and accelerate progress toward a circular economy.”

To purchase a copy of the report and view the full contents, visit https://napcor.com/reports-resources/.

About NAPCOR

Founded in 1987, the National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) is the industry association for the polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic packaging industry in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. NAPCOR is dedicated to promoting the PET package, overcoming hurdles to successful PET recycling, and communicating the attributes of the PET container as a sustainable package. Learn more at https://napcor.com/.