Strengthen the research and development of technical regulations and laws and regulations on food contact packaging materials made of recycled PET bottles in China.

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is widely used in the packaging of mineral water, soft drinks and beer due to its excellent material properties, but the huge amount of waste PET bottles has put great pressure on environmental protection. Therefore, post-consumer PET recycling technology and application have received attention, and many countries have formulated PET recycling plans. Canada, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Japan, and other countries or regions have clearly stipulated that recycled plastic can be used as food contact materials and have formulated relevant regulatory measures, providing reference for China's recycled PET bottles to be regenerated and used as food-contact materials. This paper mainly summarizes the domestic and foreign regeneration methods of waste PET bottles, the development trend of regenerated PET food-contact materials, and relevant laws and regulations.

PET is a high-performance thermoplastic polymer material that can be divided into fiber and non-fiber grades based on application. Among the fiber-grade products, PET is mainly divided into polyester filament and polyester staple fiber. The non-fiber-grade products currently mainly include bottle-grade PET and film-grade PET products.

PET materials are often processed into plastic bottles for food packaging. Currently, PET plastic bottles have become the top choice in the field of plastic food packaging. According to market information, both the global capacity and output of bottle-grade PET have increased. In terms of capacity, the global bottle-grade PET capacity has maintained a continuous growth trend in recent years, increasing from 27 million tons in 2014 to 348.7 million tons in 2022, with a compound annual growth rate of about 3.25%. In 2020, China's PET output was about 95.22 million tons, and its consumption was about 65.975 million tons, of which 75% was polyester fiber and 20% was PET bottle flakes, amounting to about 130 million tons.

In terms of recycling, in 2022, waste PET was an important source of recycled plastic in China. Currently, the recovery rate of PET bottles in China is 94%, accounting for 33% of the total recovery volume. Secondly, other packaging films, waste plastic from electrical and electronic products, and automotive waste plastic are also important sources of recycled plastic.

While PET bottles are recycled and remade into rPET (recycled PET, PET plastic recycled and reused), over 80% of them enter the recycled fiber industry to be used in the production of bags, clothing, umbrellas, and other daily necessities.

After thorough cleaning and purification, PET can be regenerated through physical or chemical methods, which is no less than a rebirth for PET. The regenerated PET, compared with PET made from petroleum, can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 59% and energy consumption by 76%. The recycling and regeneration of PET as an effective method of waste plastic recycling plays an important role in the exploration and improvement of the waste management system, and has practical significance in promoting the realization of the "dual carbon" goal.

Whether rPET can truly be applied to the food industry has also become a topic of common concern in the industry. According to a survey, 73.39% of consumers are willing to recycle or reuse their used beverage bottles in their daily lives, while 62.84% of consumers express positive intentions towards the application of PET recycling in food. For the use of rPET in food contact packaging materials, ensuring safety is a necessary prerequisite.