In the European Union, nearly one million tons of PET trays are placed on the market annually, yet only about 30% are collected, according to industry data.
The remainder is lost to landfills or incineration, representing both a wasted resource and a growing environmental liability. Unlike the widely established “bottle-to-bottle” recycling loop, tray recycling has until recently been a blind spot in circular plastics policy.
Pressure for change is mounting. The Single-Use Plastics Directive (SUPD) and the proposed Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) extend circularity requirements beyond beverage bottles, forcing manufacturers and recyclers to address trays directly. With the EU setting more stringent recycling and recycled-content targets, the tray-to-tray model is emerging as a potential strategic link in the plastics economy.
The difficulty lies in the material itself. PET trays are often manufactured with multi-layer structures, inks, and adhesives that complicate sorting and decontamination. Unlike beverage bottles, which benefit from standardized design and deposit-return schemes, trays lack a harmonized collection system. Mixed with other plastics and often contaminated with food residues, they produce inconsistent feedstock that raises costs and constrains recycling yields.
Industry experts point out that while mechanical recycling of trays is technically feasible, feedstock variability remains the biggest bottleneck. Without a consistent flow of clean PET material, scaling tray-to-tray operations becomes commercially risky.
Sorting Technologies as Market Enablers
Recent advances in sorting technology are addressing these constraints. Sensor-based systems can now distinguish between single-layer and multi-layer PET, while next-generation equipment such as INNOSORT™ FLAKE and AUTOSORT™ FLAKE deliver PET purities exceeding 99%, meeting EU standards for food-contact packaging.
Some plants are also adopting dual sorting lines that separate transparent from colored PET, widening the spectrum of applications, from microwave-safe trays to packaging that demands higher durability. These improvements reduce reliance on virgin PET, but the economic equation still hinges on scale and investment in infrastructure.
A parallel trend is the integration of post-consumer and post-industrial waste streams. Post-industrial scrap, being cleaner and more uniform, helps stabilize quality, while post-consumer PET provides the volume required for market relevance. The combination allows recyclers to generate a more reliable feedstock for tray manufacturing, though the balance remains delicate given regulatory constraints on food-contact approvals.
As one of the most recyclable polymers, PET already underpins bottle recycling schemes worldwide. Expanding its use to trays could ease pressure on bottle-to-bottle systems, which are increasingly strained by rising recycled-content mandates. By diversifying PET applications, the industry can reduce competition for raw material and move toward a more balanced circular plastics market.
