Recycled PET flakes: a buyer's guide

Recycled PET flakes are made by sorting, grinding and washing post-consumer bottles. They feed polyester staple fibre, strapping, sheet and re-granulation lines. Flake quality varies widely, so a clear specification protects you.

Colour grades

• Clear (white) flakes: the most valuable, used where colour matters.
• Light blue: often blended with clear, depending on your product.
• Green and brown: used for coloured fibre, strapping and darker products.
• Mixed: the lowest price, suited only to dark or black end products.

Specifications to agree

• Intrinsic viscosity (IV): shows molecular weight. Fibre, strapping, sheet and bottle applications need different IV ranges. Ask your process engineer for yours.
• PVC content: even a little PVC turns PET yellow or black during processing. Ask for it in ppm. Sheet and bottle uses need tighter limits than fibre.
• Labels, glue and caps: PP and PE from caps and labels should be removed by float–sink separation. Glue residue shows up as black specks.
• Metal: ask whether the line uses metal detection.
• Moisture: PET absorbs moisture and must be dried thoroughly before melting. Ask for moisture on delivery so you can plan drying.
• Flake size and fines: fines and dust burn in the extruder. Ask for size range and dust content.

Hot wash vs cold wash

Hot-washed flakes (washed with hot water and detergent) remove glue and contamination far better than cold-washed flakes, and cost more. For sheet and food-contact-adjacent uses, ask specifically for hot-washed material.

Before you order bulk

1. Ask for a sample from the actual lot, plus a photo of the bags.
2. Run a small trial and check colour, black specks and IV.
3. Agree the spec, packing and acceptance tests in the quotation.

Post your PET flake requirement on PlasticSetu with colour, IV range, monthly quantity and city, and the sourcing desk will collect quotes from suppliers with matching material.