Up until today, plastic has become an important part of human life, which is still difficult for humans to completely let go of. Plastic waste management was still relatively manageable a few decades ago, as plastic production was not as high as it is now. However, the use of plastic has continued to increase over the years, especially in recent decades. Quoted from Tempo.co, the world is estimated to throw away 5 trillion plastic bags every year, according to a study conducted by Travis P. Wagner (2017). Plastic waste management has become more challenging due to this situation, and it is now one of the global issues that are being sought to be solved together. Unfortunately, as the problem entails several related issues that are interconnected at various levels, it cannot be solved in a short period of time. However, one way that can currently be done is to recycle plastics.

            Plastic itself has many types, one of which is PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate). This type of plastic is categorized as easy to recycle into new products. PET that has been recycled is called recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET). RPET is a form of plastic made from used PET packaging that was used to make beverage bottles and other plastic containers. Utilizing rPET allows us to use less new plastic, using fewer natural resources, which means a greater impact on the environment.

            As a plastic manufacturing company, SOPRA plays a role as an agent of change for a healthy and clean environment. By prioritizing sustainability and innovation in production, SOPRA is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and addressing plastic waste issues in a responsible manner, one of which is by producing rPET bottles. With a sophisticated recycling process, SOPRA successfully produces environmentally friendly rPET bottles and actively contributes to reducing plastic waste and safeguarding the welfare of the environment.

              The process of making rPET generally starts with the collection of used bottles which are then deposited at a plastic waste processing factory. There, each part of the used bottles, such as bottles, labels, and caps will be separated to undergo the granulation step, where the bottles are processed into small flakes. After that, the plastic flakes are intensively washed to obtain clean plastic flakes. The next stage is pelletizing, where the clean plastic flakes are put into a reactor, heated, and vacuumed at a very high vacuum to remove any remaining bacteria and contamination. Once melted and cooled, the plastic flakes turn into new plastic seeds called Recycled PET. The final step in the rPET bottle manufacturing process is blowing. SOPRA uses injection blow molding technology, where the recycled PET plastic seeds are blown into the bottle mold and form a new rPET bottle.

            Broadly speaking, the escalating plastic waste problem may not be completely solved by rPET. However, rPET has great potential as a way to reduce the impact of plastic on earth. SOPRA is also aware that our planet is plagued by the issue of plastic waste, so as a leader in the plastic manufacturing industry we understand how important it is to contribute to solving this problem. Our rPET bottles are a tangible contribution to a sustainable environment.

Author : Fiona Aureli