PET bottles: Recycled content significantly exceeds EU target

Three crushed plastic bottles with blue caps against an orange background

According to a recent study by the GVM, the average proportion of rPET in Germany has reached a record high of 58 per cent.
 
According to the study by the Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung (Society for Packaging Market Research, GVM), commissioned by the Forum PET, the German drinks industry is thus more than doubling the statutory EU minimum requirement, which currently stands at 25 per cent. This was announced by the IK Industrievereinigung Kunststoffverpackungen (Industrial Association for Plastic Packaging). Compared with the last survey in 2023, the average proportion of rPET in bottles and preforms rose significantly once again, by 7.1 percentage points, according to the study. In parallel with the increased proportion of recycled material, the amount of material used has reportedly continued to fall: compared with 2017, around 25 per cent less PET was processed into bottles in 2025. The IK cites optimisation measures such as shorter threads and reduced wall thicknesses, which save on raw materials, as reasons for this. According to the IK, PET bottles have been becoming increasingly lighter since 2013 whilst maintaining the same stability and quality, which is said to have a positive impact on CO₂ emissions during production and transport. According to the IK, the increase in the proportion of recycled material is attributable to the deposit-refund system and the domestic industrial infrastructure; the study also states that this trend is driven by commitments from major bottlers to use recycled material and by the minimum requirement of 25 per cent for single-use PET beverage bottles, which has been in force since 2025. The deposit-return scheme lays the essential foundation for the separate collection of PET bottles by consumers. According to the study, a total of 96.4 per cent of PET beverage bottles subject to a deposit were collected via the deposit-return schemes (single-use and reusable) in 2025.
 
Dr Isabell Schmidt, Managing Director for the Circular Economy at the IK, emphasises: “The results of the GVM study also show that effective environmental policy requires a strong industrial base in the country. The circular economy does not arise solely through legal requirements.”
 
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