What Is rPET? Everything You Need to Know about rPET Plastic Products
Just about anything in this day and age can be recycled, well, except for plastic. Regular plastic is one of the most disposable products around as most plastic isn’t used more than once. Additionally, many plastic types become useless after being recycled two or three times. Therefore, finding sustainable plastic alternatives that are consistently reusable is a must for many brands and industries looking to sell long-lasting and reliable products. One such option is rPET plastic.
Recycled polyethylene tetraphyte (rPET) is the more sustainable version of PET, which is often found in plastic water bottles, soda bottles, and several other items. Unfortunately, PET itself isn’t made through the most environmentally friendly means. But, rPET is a very sustainable and eco-friendly alternative. Here’s a look at what rPET is and how products using rPET material are made while also recommending a few notable products made from recycled plastic that can be customized with your brand to create unique and sustainable promotional items.
What Is rPET?
Before you learn what rPET is, you must know where polyethylene tetraphyte (PET) comes from. As mentioned, you can find PET in several bottles and other items. So you can practically find PET in every plastic you’ll ever use.
However, PET is considered an environmental hazard because it is made from crude oil. The crude oil extraction process is very harmful to the ecosystem. The scientific method used takes alcohol known as ethylene glycol and mixes it with terephthalic acid to create PET in a molten form. A process called esterification bonds the products by creating long-chain polymers, dubbed PET. PET is a thermoplastic, meaning it can easily be manipulated into different shapes when heated. It’s lightweight, non-toxic, and is known for its durability. In addition, it’s more cost-effective compared to other options, and it is recyclable.
Essentially, rPET takes previously created plastic, including plastic bottles, and breaks down that plastic into tiny flakes. The PET is reprocessed as the flakes are melted to separate core ingredients inside the plastic bottle. The rPET can then be used to make rPET fabric and many other materials, requiring considerably less energy than when you make polyethylene tetraphyte from scratch. More importantly, by using plastic that’s already been made, you’re ensuring that the plastic isn’t winding up in landfills, creating all sorts of problems for the environment. It’s vital considering that crude oil production is the source of PET.
Can rPET Be Recycled? Not only can rPET be recycled once or twice, but you can also recycle it as many times as you want thanks to the fact that it’s safe, can easily be cleaned, and is reusable.
What Are the Benefits of rPET?
rPET material can offer a lot of benefits for the environment, for the people who use them, and for manufacturers as well.
For one, rPET is highly sustainable. rPET material leaves smaller carbon footprints, and it’s fully recyclable. It can be cleaned and reused at will. And, by using rPET, it takes a lot less time to create products. For example, statistically speaking, creating plastic water bottles from entirely recycled material uses 75% less energy compared to making the PET from the ground up.
Furthermore, rPET is very durable. It’s very strong, light, and flexible, while the packaging solutions are usually shatterproof. rPET material is also resistant to chemicals, and it doesn’t require too much energy or the use of harmful substances to preserve it.
What Can rPET Material Be Used to Make?
Due to its durability, sustainability, and ease in which they can be manipulated, rPET material can be used to make a bevy of items.
Companies all over are using rPET material for their packaging needs. Because rPET is lightweight and easier to carry, it cuts down on transportation costs, lowering carbon emissions. The most popular use of rPET material, much like regular plastic, is in bottles. These bottles often carry recycling symbols on their labels, and brands will put patches indicating the recyclability of these products. Your brand can do the same and even have the bottles customized to put your company logo.
rPET fabric is also becoming a more common thing. Companies are creating clothing using recyclable plastics and bottles, including jackets and different types of outer garments. These are good options for gifting, and the jackets or shirts that are made with the fabric can last for a long time.
rPET material is used in various industries as well. It’s used regularly in the food and beverage industry to create containers for preservation/storage. It’s also used for sheet and film. And, it’s used for products containing fiber like carpet, shoes, and clothes. It can be used to make luggage, different types of upholstery, and fiberfill for products like sleeping bags, coats, and sweaters. Plus, it’s used in the automotive industry for other parts. If there’s one thing with rPET material, it’s a very agile type of material that can be used to create a host of unique promotional items.
Which rPET Promotional Items Are Best For Your Brand?
Options are plentiful when it comes to promotional items made from rPET. These options can help your brand attract clients and consumers from different walks of life.
Mini 16 oz. rPET Sports Water Bottle
All types of bottles can be created using rPET material, including sports water bottles. For hydration during games or after a rigorous workout at the gym, the UpCycle – Mini 16 oz. rPet Sports Bottle with Ring Straw Lid helps people who are looking to stay fit to stay green just the same. These bottles are perfect for giveaways during outdoor and indoor sporting events. The bottle comes in a host of colors, particularly transparent colors, which can be a great compliment to your logo or design. They’re easy to open and close while also being easy on the eye. Reach out for a quick quote and preview of your design.
Hipster rPET Fanny Pack
rPET material can also be used to create some useful and portable fanny packs too. For example, the Hipster Recycled rPET Fanny Pack is a suitable option for hikes, long commutes, or tourist retreats.
The design is as savvy as they come, and the fanny pack is made from recycled water bottles. The belt that it comes with extends wide enough so it can be worn around the waist. The waist strap and buckle are adjustable, and it also comes with a zippered main compartment.
The colors for these fanny packs range from black to lime green. And, you can print your logo on either side of the fanny pack, so people know where it’s coming from.
rPET Umbrella
rPET umbrellas are one-of-a-kind promotional products that your brand can promote. Most umbrellas are made out of fabrics that help them withstand rain and dry quickly, mainly nylon. However, the canopy that’s in umbrellas is made from regular plastic.
An alternate umbrella type that’s made from rPET Material is the Eco-Friendly Golf Umbrella with 100% RPET Canopy – 60, featuring a sporty design and an aluminum frame. It also has a wood grip handle. The material used to make the Eco-Friendly Golf Umbrella with 100% rPET Canopy – 60 is derived from post-consumer plastic bottles. It features a 60-inch canopy and heat-transferred personalization, making it easy to dry after being exposed to the elements.
Your logo is printed on prime real estate on the side of the umbrella so everybody can see it wherever its used.
rPET JournalBook
The 7″ x 10″ Reclaim rPET Refillable JournalBook® is a fully recyclable journal for anyone to do consistent note-taking, with the cover made from recycled leather. The 7″ x 10″ Reclaim rPET Refillable JournalBook® features 80 pages of recycled lined paper as well as a ribbon page marker elastic pen look in the spine. In addition, your logo will be front and center on the cover of the JournalBook, which your recipients will love the on trend look while enjoying the usefulness.
Shop All Promotional Products Made From rPET
rPET material is very reliable and takes less of a toll on an environment that’s been increasingly compromised by the pollution caused by toxic waste, much of which comes from unused plastic. So not only is your brand getting a unique promotional product when it’s getting an item made from rPET, but you’re also doing your part to improve the ecosystem. iPromo has a wide range of promotional products made from rPET and other environmentally friendly products that you can choose for your brand right now!