Graham Packaging PET technology certified

Lancaster, Pennsylvania-based Graham Packaging says its Thermoset polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic technology has been prequalified for the How2Recycle Widely Recyclable label.

How2Recycle was created by the Virginia-based Sustainable Packaging Coalition as a labeling system for packaging and designed to provide consistent and transparent recycling information to household consumers in North America.

Graham Packaging describes ThermaSet as a patented heat-set process that allows PET to be used instead of glass in “challenging hot-fill applications.” Connecticut-based equipment supplier Impact Consumer Products Group lists applesauce, baby food, jams and jellies, dressings and sauces, dips and salsa and some beverages as common hot-fill applications.

ThermaSet PET bottles and jars have 50 percent more sidewall rigidity compared with standard PET and maintain thermal stability while providing a two-year shelf life at ambient temperatures, Graham says.

The How2Recycle Widely Recyclable label designates that at least 60 percent of Americans can recycle this package at curbside recycling or store drop-off recycling. The prequalification is for use in the United States and Canada.

“We are proud of this exciting technology earning the How2Recycle Widely Recyclable label,” says Tracee Auld, chief strategy and sustainability officer with Graham. “Graham is building a more sustainable future for all.”

Graham Packaging says truly recyclable PET cans and jars can offer environmental benefits compared with glass.

The company indicates it commissioned a research firm to conduct a life cycle assessment of 24-ounce ThermaSet PET pasta sauce jars and compare them to their glass counterparts. The assessment found that when compared with glass, ThermaSet jars had a 38 percent smaller carbon footprint, 47 percent less global warming potential and used 18 percent less energy during the manufacturing process.

“ThermaSet PET is 80 to 90 percent lighter than glass, resulting in fewer trucks on the road, which equates to lower greenhouse gas emissions,” says Beth Madden, who oversees Graham’s ThermaSet business.