Scientists at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University have won funding from Innovate UK to develop additives and processing methods that could significantly increase the amount of recycled material that can be used.
It is hoped the work – being carried out along with Glasgow-based business Enviropet and scientists from the University of Strathclyde – will help companies meet UK and European requirements for all new PET (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles to contain a minimum of 30 per cent recycled material from 2030.
While more than 580 billion PET bottles are produced each year, most of these contain little or no recycled materials. Drinks companies claim this is because variations in the recycled plastic can affect the colour and clarity of the finished product and can also lead to bottle failures which could see fizzy drinks go flat.
Professor David Bucknall of Heriot-Watt University said: “We want to solve the problems faced by using more recycled PET...