PET recycling rate continues slow rise

The Sonoma, Calif.-based National Association for PET Container Resources (NAPCOR) and the Washington-based Association of Postconsumer Plastic Recyclers (APR) have released figures showing that the U.S. recycled 23.1 percent of Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET) in 2005, a modest 1.5 percent increase over the 2004 rate. According to a NAPCOR press release, a total volume of 1.170 billion pounds of PET post consumer containers were collected in 2005, representing a 16.7 percent increase over 2004.