BOTTLE MAKING 14 PETplanet Insider Vol. 26 No. 11/25 www.petpla.net The bottle is produced from Eastman’s Eastar Renew EN031, a chemically recycled PET resin that, according to the company, delivers performance comparable to virgin material. The 100% recycled content, ISCC PLUS certified using a mass balance approach, is claimed to maintain clarity and purity as virgin PET. The material is approved for food contact, enabling its use across a wide range of beverage applications. Eastman’s methanolysis technology plays a key role in creating this circular resin. The company uses hard-to-recycle polyester waste - including coloured and opaque PET, polyester carpet fibres, green strapping, thermoforms, and polyester textiles - as feedstock. These materials would otherwise end up in landfills or incineration, making the technology a complementary solution to mechanical recycling. By reintroducing this material into existing rPET streams, Eastman intends to help strengthen and maintain overall quality. The Kingsport, Tennessee methanolysis facility, which came online in the first quarter of 2024, is already operating at scale. Designed to recycle 110,000 metric tons annually, Eastman reports that it has achieved 105% of its design capacity, demonstrating the technology’s scalability and readiness for broader market adoption. Compared to virgin production, the process delivers 20–30% lower greenhouse gas emissions by replacing fossil feedstocks with waste plastics and eliminating several manufacturing steps, says Eastman. Through the partnership, Doloop is uniquely positioned to convert Eastman’s PET Renew resin into highperformance beverage packaging. “Doloop has long been a pioneer in regenerative PET packaging,” said Dovydas Stulpinas, CEO of Doloop. “Partnering with Eastman enables us to offer the beverage industry a solution that meets the highest sustainability and quality standards.” According to Eastman, Drinktec proved to be a good opportunity to engage the market, generating significant interest from brand owners. The company reported that it had many promising conversations now being followed up. Eric Dehouck, managing director of Eastman’s circular economy platform, emphasised the role of supplier partnerships in meeting current and future regulations on recycled content in packaging: “The Doloop relationship illustrates how supplier partnerships play a key role in preparing a market to address not only existing regulations but also those on the horizon.” The companies are targeting markets with established depositreturn systems, particularly in Nordic countries, where demand for recycled packaging materials is increasing. At their joint presence at drinktec, the companies highlighted that their collaboration provides beverage producers, packaging engineers, and sustainability leaders with a clear path to confidently adopt circular, chemically recycled PET. www.doloop.com www.eastman.com Partnership realises 100% rPET bottle made with Eastman Eastar Renew EN031, converted by Doloop from approved preforms Bottle made from 100% chemically recycled PET Eastman and Doloop recently announced their partnership for beverage packaging, aiming to take the next step toward a circular economy. The two companies introduced the beverage bottle made entirely from chemically recycled PET at drinktec 2025. BOTTLE MAKING Eric Dehouck, managing director of Eastman’s circular economy platform Bottles realised from hard-to-recycle polyester waste via chemical recycling The doloop booth at drinktec
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