rPET Bottles: What the Percentage Actually Means
By Joe Joo · 8PCK · Shantou · Updated 26 October 2026
rPET is recycled PET. The number on the label is a claim that needs a grade, a batch declaration and a colour expectation — not just a percentage.
Recycled PET is not a commodity pool: it is sorted, washed and, for food contact, authorised per process. The percentage is the easy part; the documentation is the work.
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The Three Documents
A resin declaration with the percentage by grade, a batch-level statement linking resin lot to shipment, and food-contact documentation covering the recycled input.
Grade
Food-grade rPET is a specific grade, not any recycled PET.
Mass Balance
An accounting method; not the same as physical content.
What Changes Visually
Higher rPET content shifts clear PET warmer and slightly hazier. Fine for amber, green and coloured packs; awkward for water-clear.
What to Ask
Percentage, grade, whether the declaration is per batch, and whether the food-contact file covers the recycled input.
How to Specify It
What separates a good recycled content order from a bad one is the sample and the standard, not the catalogue photo.
Ask for Two Batches
Batch-to-batch variation is the usual complaint; compare two physical samples, not photos.
State the Light
Look at the sample under shop lighting, not office lighting.
Write the Acceptance
A visual standard plus a physical master sample is what a factory can actually match.
What It Does to the Claim
Any recycled content changes what the pack can claim about recycling. Decide the claim before the finish, not after.
Questions We Get on This
Is rPET food safe?
Food-grade rPET produced through an authorised process is; ask for the documentation.
Does rPET look different?
Slightly warmer and hazier at higher percentages; clear packs are the hardest to match.
What is mass balance?
An accounting method for recycled content, not physical content.
What is the MOQ?
1,000 pcs per colour.
Does recycled content change the MOQ?
Usually yes — most finishes start at 1,000 or 3,000 pcs; check before designing the range.
Can I see a sample first?
Yes: 7 days on stock moulds, with the finish applied.
Does it affect recycling?
Often — coatings and pigments can put the pack outside the standard stream.
Sizes That Fit This Guide
Get a Price on This, Within One Business Day
Tell us the capacity, the neck and the quantity. You get unit price, lead time and a sample plan — not a catalogue.
Every batch is gauged at the neck and weighed. The documents travel with the shipment.