Advanced recycling technology converts discarded carpets, textiles and plastic waste into food-grade packaging materials.
PepsiCo is strengthening its sustainable packaging efforts through a partnership with Eastman that transforms hard-to-recycle plastic waste, including old carpets, textile fibres, coloured bottles and plastic films, into new food-grade packaging materials. The initiative is aimed at reducing reliance on virgin plastic and advancing packaging circularity.
The process uses Eastman’s advanced molecular recycling technology, which breaks down difficult-to-recycle polyester plastics into their basic molecular building blocks before converting them into high-quality recycled resin suitable for beverage packaging. Unlike conventional mechanical recycling, the technology can process materials that would otherwise be sent to landfills or incineration.
PepsiCo has already begun using the recycled material in selected Gatorade bottles in the United States, demonstrating how waste streams that were previously difficult to recycle can be incorporated into new packaging applications. The company said the approach complements existing recycling systems and helps increase the amount of recycled content in its packaging portfolio.
The initiative forms part of PepsiCo’s broader sustainability strategy focused on reducing virgin plastic use, increasing recycled content and supporting the development of a circular economy for packaging materials. Industry experts view advanced recycling as an important tool for expanding recycling opportunities and recovering value from waste that traditional recycling systems cannot effectively process.
