PET thermoform packaging is widely used for fresh produce, bakery items, prepared foods, beverages and other consumer products because it helps protect products, reduce food waste and improve transportation efficiency. PET stands for polyethylene terephthalate and is universally identified by the “1” inside the triangle on the packaging.
The analysis found that 264 million pounds of PET thermoforms were collected for recovery in 2024, the highest level recorded since NAPCOR began tracking PET thermoform recovery. The total includes material recovered domestically and exports for reclamation, reflecting continued progress in the collection and recycling of PET trays, cups, clamshells, tubs, and other thermoformed packaging.
“PET thermoforms continue to play an essential role in protecting food, reducing waste and delivering products safely to consumers,” said Laura Stewart, executive director of NAPCOR. “Our analysis shows encouraging growth in recovery while also highlighting the infrastructure, market, and policy challenges that must be addressed to further improve circularity.”
The analysis arrives as the PET recycling industry faces growing economic pressures. Recent losses in domestic recycling capacity, ongoing market instability and rising imports of recycled PET have highlighted the need for policies and investments that strengthen North American recycling infrastructure and ensure collected PET can be recycled into new products domestically. As policymakers increasingly look to recycled-content mandates and extended producer responsibility (EPR) programs to drive circularity, understanding the realities of PET thermoform collection, processing, and end-market demand has become increasingly important.
Key findings from the analysis include:
- 264 million pounds of PET thermoforms recovered in the U.S. and Canada in 2024, reflecting higher average fractions of thermoforms in curbside PET bales.
- More than 2.05 billion pounds of PET feedstock purchased by thermoform converters in the U.S. and Canada during 2024.
- Virgin (new) PET accounted for 79 percent of thermoform feedstock purchases, while use of post-consumer recycled PET declined from 18 percent to 12 percent between 2023 and 2024. This represents a widening circularity gap for PET thermoforms despite increased collection.
- Though food packaging remained the dominant end market, accounting for approximately 79 percent of reported PET thermoform sales, recycled content usage is heavily driven by non-food/non-medical applications.
- Most recovered PET thermoforms continue to be primarily recycled alongside PET bottles rather than through dedicated thermoform recycling streams, and dedicated post-consumer thermoforms accounted for less than one percent of feedstock purchases for new PET thermoforms.
The analysis also highlights the growing role of advanced sorting technologies, including artificial-intelligence-enabled optical sortation, in improving PET thermoform recovery. At the same time, the report notes that recycling challenges remain due to contamination, processing losses, and the limited availability of dedicated thermoform recycling infrastructure.
The analysis found that opportunities remain to expand the use of recycled content in PET thermoform packaging. While recovery volumes continue to grow, recycled-content utilization remains constrained in many food-contact applications by performance, regulatory, and market considerations.
The analysis further examines emerging chemical recycling pathways, industry investment and consolidation, and the evolving policy landscape, including EPR programs, recycled content mandates, and federal legislation to strengthen recycling infrastructure.
“PET thermoform manufacturers are a critical segment of NAPCOR membership and the PET value chain,” stated Tom Busard, NAPCOR board chair, chief polymers and recycling officer for Plastipak Packaging, Inc., and president of Clean Tech, Plastipak’s recycling affiliate. “Continued circular progress for this packaging will require investment in collection and processing infrastructure, technological innovation, and policies that recognize both the recyclability of PET packaging and the realities of today’s recycling systems.”
Published June 2026