Europe: A model of leading recycling rate

European countries have performed well in PET bottle recycling, especially in countries that implement the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). For example, Germany and Finland have PET bottle recycling rates of 98% and 97% respectively, mainly due to the efficient DRS system. Other countries such as Norway, Austria and Sweden have also achieved recycling rates of more than 90% through similar mechanisms. These systems effectively incentivize recycling behavior by consumers paying deposits and returning them when they return bottles.

North America: Recycling rate needs to be improved

The recycling rate of PET bottles in the United States is relatively low, at about 30%. Although some states have implemented DRS, the overall coverage is limited. Studies have shown that if DRS is promoted nationwide, the recycling rate of PET bottles is expected to increase to 82%. In addition, North America dominates the PET bottle recycling market, with a market share of more than 34.7% in 2024. 

Asia: Mixed progress

Asian countries have mixed performance in PET bottle recycling. South Korea has achieved a recycling rate of about 59% by implementing a volume-based billing system and an efficient garbage sorting system. In some countries with weak infrastructure, such as Fiji, plastic waste management still faces challenges, and some regions even treat plastic waste by incineration, which brings environmental and health problems.

Overall, there has been some progress in PET bottle recycling around the world, and awareness of recycling has gradually increased. There are many key steps in recycling PET plastic bottles, among which the most troublesome is how to handle the residual liquid in the bottles, commonly referred to as bottles dewatering. Only by completely squeezing out the liquid can subsequent steps like compression, depapering, and reprocessing be carried out. GREENMAX has specially designed and manufactured the P series recycling machine to address this issue for bottles dewatering. 

The GREENMAX PET recycling machine is an efficient solution for dewatering and compacting PET bottles and other beverage containers, such as aluminum cans and Tetra Paks. Using advanced screw compression technology, it achieves a volume compression ratio of up to 8:1, saving storage and transportation costs. Not only can it reduce utility costs, but it also supports environmentally sustainable recycling operations. During the compression process, the bottle caps pop out, the dewatering function expels any liquid from the bottles into a collection tray below the machine, which is made of acid-resistant stainless steel to withstand low pH values found in many liquids. 

If you are also interested in PET bottle recycling, please feel free to contact us.