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Product characteristics: PET’s advantages are prominent
From the product perspective, PET bottles have significant advantages in transparency and appearance. Its high transparency enables consumers to see the product clearly, enhancing its appeal. In addition, PET bottles have better design and functionality, and can meet the packaging needs of different products. For example, in the fields of food, cosmetics, condiments, etc., the lightweight and high barrier properties of PET bottles make them an ideal packaging material. In comparison, although HDPE bottles perform well in terms of weather resistance, acid, alkali and salt liquid resistance, they are slightly inferior in terms of transparency and appearance.

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Equipment efficiency: PET has high production efficiency

In terms of equipment, PET bottles have high production efficiency. Most PET hollow products adopt the two-step injection blow molding process, while HDPE generally adopts the extrusion blow molding process. For the same capacity of blow molding, PET is much more efficient than HDPE, and the processing cost per bottle is also more advantageous. In addition, the production process of PET bottles is highly automated, which can achieve large-scale production and further reduce production costs.

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Raw material cost: PET has obvious price advantage

From the perspective of raw material cost, PET's price advantage is one of the important factors driving its replacement of HDPE. At present, the price of HDPE material is more than 8,000 yuan per ton, while the price of PET bottle-grade chips is about 6,500 yuan per ton. This price difference makes PET more competitive in terms of cost. In addition, the specifications of PET bottles are relatively uniform, and there is less waste of raw materials in the production process, which further reduces costs.

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Market application: PET replacement trend is obvious

At present, PET bottles have replaced HDPE bottles in many sub-industries. For example, in the fields of beverages, oral liquids, daily chemical cleaning, etc., PET bottles have already occupied a dominant position. In addition, in the fields of food, cosmetics, condiments, etc., the application of PET bottles is also expanding. In the future, with the advancement of technology and changes in market demand, the replacement trend of PET bottles may further expand to other sub-industries, such as medicine, chemical industry and other fields.

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Recycling system: PET recycling system is mature

In terms of sustainable development, PET bottles are more recyclable. Its recycling system is mature, and the recycling rate can reach more than 96%. With the global emphasis on environmental protection, this advantage of PET bottles has further enhanced its competitiveness in the market. In contrast, HDPE bottles are more difficult to recycle and have a lower recycling rate.

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Impact on the plastic recycling industry

Although the recycling processes of different plastics are similar, the final application terminals of products with different designs vary greatly, and the recycling value is also inconsistent. The use of PET bottles by packaging and consumer brands to replace HDPE bottles has a significant impact on the downstream recycling industry.

The original PET waste stream mainly consists of beverage bottles and mineral water bottles, and recyclers can easily recycle these together. When shampoo bottles, shower gel bottles, cosmetic bottles and hand sanitizer bottles of various colors are changed to PET, recyclers must be more professional or carefully identify the recycling logo to correctly recycle and classify them. At the same time, they must also consider whether their downstream customers will accept non-food PET bottles of various colors.

Some PET recycling companies explicitly do not recycle PET bottles for daily chemicals, because they are mixed in color and often have pump heads, metal and other parts, which cause trouble for recycling. Food-grade recycled plastic processing factories strictly control the source of such waste. Some PET recycling companies have relatively loose control over the source of waste, but mixed-color waste can often only be made into black or low-value products. Innovative technology is needed to produce higher-value products.