Plastipak launches 100% recyclable PET sprayer

        Plastipak, a leading global plastic packaging company, recently launched a 100% recyclable all-polymer sprayer SprayPET Revolution™, which is polymer including the valve, completely free of metal parts and a fully plastic PET sprayer.

        Most PET sprayers on the market currently use standard metal valves with rubber gaskets. Although many PET recycling plants are equipped to remove metal components during the recycling process, not all recyclers have this capability. Other parts such as rubber gaskets can still cause quality issues in the recycling stream. The polymer valve means that PET sprayers can safely pass through all PET recycling plants without contaminating the recycling stream or negatively affecting the quality of the recycled PET material. It has been approved by the European PET Bottle Platform (EPBP) and the American Association of Plastic Recyclers (APR). The valve uses a new polymer that is not PET for sealing, and its molecular density is less than 1g/cm3. This means that the valve and container can be easily processed during the recycling process.

        When recycling this all-plastic PET sprayer, the valve is broken up and the flakes enter a separation chamber filled with water. Due to the different molecular densities, PET sinks to the bottom and other polymers rise to the surface, so they can be easily separated. The PET is further processed and reused in applications such as new PET bottles and containers, pallets, textiles and pallet strapping. The polymer in the valve will be recycled with other caps and closures and reused in products such as garden furniture, decking and pipes.

        Made under license from Procter & Gamble, the SprayPET Revolution™ uses spin welding to attach the valve to the container. It can be used as a tube or bag-on-valve application. In addition to being 100% recyclable, the r-PET material can also be used in the modified sprayer.

        Plastipak said the all-plastic PET sprayer has a lower carbon footprint and lower scope 3 carbon emissions than the original aluminum sprayer, as evaluated in a third-party life cycle analysis study. The sprayer also provides design flexibility for product display differentiation on the shelf. It can also be decorated with a sleeve label or use Plastipak's direct printing technology - printing the label directly onto the container.