The purpose of a drinks bottle (1-4) is to, first and foremost, contain a liquid. It acts as a barrier between the drink and the outside world, as such, it prevents contamination and ensures that the drink is as fresh as it can be for the consumer at the point of purchase. Once the bottle has served its primary objective, it usually then becomes rubbish. At this point it can either go to landfill, which would be a waste of resource, be incinerated, where it could create some electrical energy, or it can be recycled to become useful again. Recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the material used to make most drinks bottles, can be used to manufacture a variety of products, as well as new drinks containers like the Ribena bottle (5) which was one of the first drinks bottles to be made from 100% recycled bottles.
In the majority of cases, PET is reprocessed into a fibre and spun into a thread, known as polyester, to make fabrics. However, in some cases, it is used to make a rigid, durable material as in the Durakerb (18) which uses 182 recycled plastic bottles, caps, and closures generated from local kerbside collections within the UK.
The Greentom Upp stroller or push chair (25) utilises a combination of recycled plastics. The lightweight frame is made from 100% recycled polypropylene (PP) whilst the textile seat, hood and shopping carrier are made from 100% recycled PET.
