Where it appears
Common examples include water and soft-drink bottles, edible-oil bottles and some food jars or trays.
Deposit containers
A PET bottle carrying an eligible deposit mark should normally use the relevant deposit-return route rather than ordinary recycling.
Preparation
Empty liquids, remove significant food residue, and keep a deposit bottle intact when barcode or shape recognition is required.
Common questions
Questions people ask
Is PET the same as polyester?
They belong to the same polymer family, but textiles and packaging use different collection routes.
Should PET bottles be crushed?
Only when local guidance allows it. Deposit machines often require the original shape.
Are PET trays accepted with bottles?
Not always. Product format matters.
Reference sources
ASTM D7611/D7611M — Resin Identification Coding SystemOpen source ↗U.S. EPA — How to recycle common materialsOpen source ↗RetuRO — Consumer information about Romania’s deposit-return systemOpen source ↗Singapore NEA — Beverage Container Return SchemeOpen source ↗Japan METI — Identification marking for containers and packagingOpen source ↗
Checked 2026-08-16