A recent study, published by Systemiq with the support of Closed Loop Partners, Eunomia, and The Recycling Partnership, presents a detailed roadmap for transitioning the U.S. PET packaging and polyester textile industries from the existing linear single-use model to circular, low-waste, and low-emission systems by 2040.
Titled ‘Transforming PET Packaging and Textiles in the United States’, this study’s launch comes on the heels of significant policy developments, including the adoption of the Responsible Textile Recovery Act of 2024 in California and the Executive Order on Mobilizing Federal Action on Plastic Pollution. Moreover, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws for packaging have already passed in five states — California, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, and Oregon — with ten more states considering similar legislation.
PET packaging and polyester textiles, which are utilized in a range of products such as food and drink packaging, apparel, and carpets, derive from the same molecule (polyethylene terephthalate). Currently, U.S. consumers utilize over 100 billion PET bottles and upwards of 10 billion polyester garments each year. These materials account for 30% of the U.S. plastic packaging and textile consumption. If current consumption patterns persist, PET and polyester usage is projected to increase 1.5 times by 2040, resulting in 13 million metric tons of waste entering landfills or incineration annually — a volume equivalent to 750,000 garbage trucks. Additionally, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from domestic PET/polyester production are expected to surge to 2.5 times higher than the levels required to meet U.S. emissions reduction targets by 2040.
Circular economy approaches offer significant benefits
The study underscores the transformative potential of ambitious and complementary circular economy strategies. These include minimizing avoidable material usage, scaling up packaging reuse and textile resale, and enhancing recycling through both mechanical and depolymerization technologies. Depolymerization recycling, an emerging process that complements established mechanical recycling methods, has the potential to convert polyester textiles and challenging-to-recycle PET packaging into virgin-quality recycled materials. This initiative not only reduces fossil fuel dependence but also lowers emissions.
By 2040, a combination of these proven measures could yield notable environmental advantages compared to the continuation of historical trends:
- Increase recycling rates for PET packaging to 70% (up from 23%) and for polyester textiles to 19% (up from 1%).
- Halve virgin PET/polyester consumption and reduce waste sent to landfills and incineration.
- Approximately 60% reduction in projected GHG emissions for packaging.
The transformation of the PET packaging and polyester textiles sectors could also generate 46,000 additional direct jobs in the U.S. and contribute $4.9 billion annually in extra revenue for U.S. recycling industries compared to current levels.
“A collaborative effort across the value chain is needed to move away from our current take-make-waste system for polyester textiles and PET thermoforms and keep these valuable materials in play––rather than lose them to landfills and incineration,” stated Kate Daly, Managing Partner, Closed Loop Partners. “Closed Loop Partners is proud to contribute to this report, which presents a clear opportunity: by adopting established circular economy solutions, we can recover billions in value, reduce waste, lower emissions, and create tens of thousands of jobs in the U.S.”
Call for ambitious legislation, industry action, and technology scale-up
The report advocates for swift and assertive action from U.S. policymakers and industry leaders to fully realize this transformation.
- Policymakers can take decisive steps by implementing well-designed EPR laws. Key measures include encouraging product design for circularity through eco-modulation of fees, incentivizing domestic infrastructure, and introducing Bottle Bills where applicable. Policymakers can also enhance collection and sortation capabilities, mandate increased demand for post-consumer recycled content (rPET), and reduce risks for private sector investments.
- Industry leaders can accelerate the transformation by minimizing unnecessary consumption of packaging and textiles, designing products for reuse and recycling, enhancing textiles collection, and increasing the utilization of domestically sourced rPET.
- The study further emphasizes the necessity for collaboration among government, industry, and investors to create the supportive environment, investment flows, and industry engagement required to deploy new and proven technologies, including artificial intelligence-based waste sorting and depolymerization recycling, at scale.
“The U.S. packaging and textile sectors have a real opportunity to lead the way in circular innovation,” remarked Brad Lich, Eastman Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. “Eastman believes that scaling new and proven technologies like depolymerization alongside mechanical recycling and complementary circular economy strategies, including reuse/refill, will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, create jobs, and significantly cut emissions.”
“For the U.S. to fully realize the potential of a circular economy for PET and polyester, it is crucial for state and federal policymakers to implement ambitious legislation, including well-designed EPR,” emphasized Kate Davenport, Chief Policy Officer at The Recycling Partnership. “Strong public-private partnerships and clear regulatory frameworks are essential to deliver the infrastructure, attract targeted investment, and scale the changes needed to develop a better recycling system.”
‘Transforming PET Packaging and Textiles in the United States’ was developed under the guidance of an independent Steering Group that consists of over 15 representatives from industry, waste management and recycling, academia, and civil society. The study was commissioned and funded by Eastman, which had one representative on the Steering Group.
The complete study is available for download at https://systemiq.info/pet-polyester-us.
