How PepsiCO Addresses worldwide Circular Economy Challenges

A circular plastics economy is one where we try to get the maximum value from the plastics we produce by keeping them in use as long as possible through reuse and recycling. At PepsiCo, helping to create a circular plastics economy for bottles starts with something called polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, which is a form of plastic that can be recycled repeatedly without degrading. We are striving to use more recycled PET, or rPET, in our bottles, with a goal using 25% recycled plastic content in our plastic packaging by 2025. But in order for us to use more rPET, more needs to become available to purchase.

PepsiCo is already one of the largest rPET purchasers in the world. If there were more rPET available, we would buy it. But here’s the challenge; today, due to low recycling rates and limited processing capacity there simply isn’t enough high-quality, food-packaging-grade rPET on the market. If we want to create a circular plastics economy, we are going to need to transform the entire recycling ecosystem, and so, PepsiCo supports efforts around the world to significantly improve our current collection and recycling infrastructure.