Resin reference · Resin code 1
PET Polyethylene terephthalate
Clear PET bottle — Water bottles, soda bottles, PET sheet.
- Resin code
- 1
- Density (g/cm³)
- 1,38
- Water test
- Sinks in water
- Accepted form
- Baled · Loose · Flake
What is PET
PET is the most widely circulated plastic in Indonesia, because nearly every single-use drink bottle is made of it. It is hard, clear, and stays rigid at very thin wall thicknesses — which is why a mineral water bottle can be that light. The same properties make it sell: clean PET has the most established recycling chain of the seven resin codes, mostly into fibre.
How to identify it without equipment
- Sinks in water. At 1.38 g/cm³ it is denser than water.
- Crackles when squeezed and springs back, rather than staying limp like a carrier bag.
- The base usually carries a small injection dot and a triangle marked 1.
Everyday items that carry it
- Mineral water and soda bottles
- Clear cooking oil bottles
- PET sheet and clamshell packaging
- Herbal drink and other beverage bottles
What it becomes after recycling
Clean PET flake most often ends up as polyester staple fibre for yarn, wadding and geotextiles; a smaller share returns to bottles as rPET.
What gets a load of it turned away
- Bottles that held oil, pesticide or chemicals — these count as hazardous waste.
- PET mixed with PVC fragments. PVC scorches at PET melt temperature and ruins a whole batch.
- Bottles still holding liquid or soil — the weight of water does not count as material.
Holding material of this type?
This page covers how to identify and handle the resin. For questions about volume, form, or visiting the yard, get in touch directly.