PET plastic: carbon footprint per tonne (incl. forming)

PET — the clear plastic of drinks bottles and food trays — carries the official per-tonne footprint shown live below, covering both making the polymer from fossil feedstocks and forming it into packaging. Per tonne it costs more than new glass; per container it usually wins, because a PET bottle weighs a tenth of its glass equivalent.

Recycled PET (the closed-loop factor in the same tables) comes in around 40% lower, which is why bottle deposit schemes and recycled-content mandates move real tonnage. For events, the bigger lever is usually count, not material: refill stations displace the bottles entirely rather than lightening them.

Worked example

40 kg of PET bottles (~1,600 half-litre bottles): 0.04 × 3,861.58 = 154 kgCO2e.

Measure your own with the free event calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Is PET worse than glass or aluminium?

Per tonne, PET sits above new glass and far below primary aluminium. Per drink served, container weight and recycling rates decide it — a light PET bottle usually beats a heavy glass one — and refill beats every single-use option.

Related factors

• Glass (new)
• Aluminium cans and foil
• Clothing (new textiles)