Nu-Pure Beverages

What is PET plastic and can it be recycled?

Let’s face it: there’s a whole lot of confusion and misinformation out there about plastic. Partly, this is because plastics are often tarred with the same brush. However, not all types of plastic are the same.

At Nu-Pure, our bottles are made from what’s called PET plastic. This is short for polyethylene terephthalate. You can identify if a plastic is PET by looking for the number 1 on the packaging. This number identifies the kind of resin the plastic is made of – there are seven categories in total.

To clear up some of the confusion – here’s the scoop on PET and why we chose it to bottle up our quality Nu-Pure spring water.

How does PET keep water pure?

At Nu-Pure, we are meticulous about sourcing our water from pristine Australian springs. So, it’s important to us that our water retains its exceptional quality. PET is non-toxic and resistant to micro-organisms and degradation. It’s also BPA free – and has never contained BPA in the past. PET is durable and shatter-resistant, which means no spillages.

PET has a long track record, too. The first PET bottle was made in 1973 and the first PET bottle was recycled in 1977.

Another clear benefit of PET is its affordability when compared to other container options, such as glass, cans and composite material. This means it’s possible to deliver quality, pure water at a reasonable price point.

Earth to PET

The big advantage of PET is that it’s 100% recyclable and it can be recycled repeatedly. This means less new PET needs to be produced. Recycled PET resin can be used to make bottles, clothes, shoes and more.

One of the bonuses of PET is that it can be recycled back into food grade quality packaging. When compared to other plastic types, this is really unique. After use, plastics like HDPE, LDPE and PP are usually only used for secondary recycling into things like textiles and building products. PET plastic, however, can go from bottle to resin to bottle again.

There are two types of resin that can be used to make PET in the first place – virgin resin (vPET) and recycled resin (rPET). At Nu-Pure, our bottles are made from 100% recycled resin – and our bottles are 100% recyclable in Australia after use. Winning.

PET is also super lightweight, which makes a huge difference to the amount of emissions and fuel burned in transportation. PET bottles are now 40% lighter than PET bottles produced in the year 2000. PET is inherently safer for the environment, too, because it doesn’t leach into the earth.

“We use PET bottles because we want to ensure that the water our customers receive is the same quality as when it left the pristine natural springs,” says Mark Holmes, Nu-Pure Founder and Managing Director. “PET bottles are durable and safe, so they fit the brief. They also provide a more sustainable option, given they can be repeatedly recycled. Plus, they allow us to offer a more affordable product to our customers.”

Ultimately, PET bottles offer a good solution for hydration on-the-go, especially as they’re 100% recyclable. However, they can only stay out of landfill if they’re disposed of correctly. We all need to play our part in recycling, so Nu-Pure bottles can have a second (and third and fourth…) life!