PET Bottle Scrap

Clear, blue and green PET bottle scrap, PET flakes and hot-washed bottle regrind – collected, processed and exported worldwide by Al Saham Al Ahmar Metal Scrap TR, Sharjah, UAE.

What Is PET Bottle Scrap?

PET – polyethylene terephthalate – is the transparent, strong and lightweight polyester used for mineral water bottles, soft drink bottles, edible oil bottles, juice containers and many food packagings. It is also the base polymer of polyester fibre, which is why the recycled PET market is so large: one tonne of clean PET flakes can become polyester staple fibre, filament yarn, strapping, sheet or a new bottle.

PET bottle scrap is traded in several recognisable forms, and each form carries a different price and processing requirement:

• Baled whole bottles – the rawest form, normally with caps and labels still attached.
• De-capped and de-labelled bottles – higher value, since the PET fraction is purer.
• Flakes – ground and typically hot-washed flakes ready for extrusion.
• Granules / pellets – pelletised recycled PET (rPET) for fibre, sheet or bottle applications.
• Coloured bottles – blue, green and mixed, used for fibre and non-food applications.
• Trays and sheet – thermoformed PET packaging, often traded separately from bottles.

Because PET is denser than water at around 1.33 to 1.38 g/cm3, it sinks in a float-sink tank. That single property makes it easy to separate PET from HDPE and PP caps and labels, and it is the foundation of the whole PET recycling process.

Grades We Supply

Typical Technical Specification

Parameter	Typical Value
Polymer	PET, bottle grade
Density	1.33 – 1.38 g/cm3
Intrinsic viscosity	Approx. 0.72 – 0.82 dl/g depending on lot
Moisture	Below 1 percent, with drying before extrusion recommended
PVC content	Below 100 ppm in premium flake lots
Metal content	Nil visible, below 50 ppm after separation
Packing	Bales, 25 kg bags, 500 to 1000 kg jumbo bags or bulk

Why Clean PET Scrap Commands a Premium

• PVC is the enemy. Even a tiny PVC fraction blackens rPET during processing, so the best lots are rigorously free of PVC bottles and sleeves.
• Colour purity – clear flake sells at the highest price; blue and green are next; mixed colour is discounted.
• Label and glue residue – full-sleeve labels and heavy adhesive lower yield and require a stronger hot wash.
• Moisture – PET absorbs water and must be dried before extrusion, so drier flake is worth more.
• IV retention – gentle processing preserves intrinsic viscosity, which bottle-to-bottle recyclers pay for.
• Consistency – converters buy on specification; a repeatable lot wins a repeat order.

Where PET Bottle Scrap Comes From

• Municipal recycling collection schemes and materials recovery facilities.
• Bottled water and beverage plants with reject and off-spec bottles.
• Hotels, restaurants, catering companies, stadiums and event venues.
• Schools, universities, offices and shopping malls with segregated bins.
• Edible oil packers with PET containers.
• Preform and closure producers with production waste.
• Private waste aggregators and scrap dealers across the Emirates.

Our PET Processing Route

1. Receipt and pre-sorting – bales are opened and sorted by colour, removing PVC bottles, PETG, and non-PET contamination such as HDPE bottles and metal cans.
2. De-baling and de-capping – caps and rings are removed; PP caps become a separate saleable stream.
3. De-labelling – labels and sleeves are stripped mechanically and by air separation.
4. Granulation – bottles are ground into flakes of a controlled size.
5. Hot wash – caustic hot washing removes glue, sugar residue, oil and dirt.
6. Float-sink separation – PET sinks while PP and HDPE caps and labels float, giving a clean PET stream.
7. Rinsing and dewatering – flakes are rinsed with fresh water and mechanically dried.
8. Optical and metal sorting – optical sorters remove residual colour and PVC; magnets and eddy current units remove metal.
9. QC, bagging and dispatch – flakes are sampled for moisture, PVC, colour and IV, then packed in jumbo bags for export.

What Is Recycled PET Used For?

• Polyester fibre – by far the largest market, converting flakes into staple fibre and filament yarn for textiles.
• Bottle-to-bottle rPET – food-grade pellets for new beverage bottles, requiring the highest purity input.
• Sheet and thermoform – rPET sheet for food trays and packaging.
• Strapping – high-strength polyester strapping for industrial packing.
• Filament and 3D printing – recycled PET and rPETG filament.
• Non-wovens – carpet backing, insulation, geotextiles and automotive felt.
• Moulded parts – engineering components from glass-filled recycled PET compounds.

Buyer’s Checklist for PET Scrap

• Ask for the PVC content and how it was tested – this is the single most important quality number.
• Confirm colour mix and whether clear-only is guaranteed.
• Request moisture data and the drying method used.
• Check whether the material is hot-washed and whether a hot caustic stage was included.
• Ask for the intrinsic viscosity range if you run bottle-to-bottle or high-tenacity fibre.
• Confirm the packing weight and whether bulk loading is available.
• Request pre-shipment inspection, photos and a loading report.

Seller’s Guide to Better PET Prices

1. Keep PVC bottles out of the PET bale – one PVC bottle can spoil a whole batch.
2. Remove caps and full-sleeve labels where practical.
3. Drain liquid and keep bales dry; wet bottles lose value quickly.
4. Sort by colour if you can – clear PET is worth more than blue or green.
5. Bale tightly to reduce freight cost and improve container utilisation.
6. Offer regular monthly volume to become a programme supplier.

Market Drivers for PET Scrap Prices

PET scrap prices follow virgin PET resin and paraxylene and MEG feedstock costs, polyester fibre demand in China and India, freight rates and recycling capacity utilisation. Because brand owners worldwide are legally required to include recycled content, long-run demand for clean flake remains structurally strong even when virgin prices dip.

• Purity – the largest single price factor; PVC-free clear flake is premium.
• Form – flakes and pellets command more than whole bales.
• Colour – clear outperforms blue, green and mixed.
• Moisture – wet material is heavily discounted.
• Logistics – bale density and container optimisation directly affect landed cost.
• Regulation – recycled content mandates support stable long-term demand.

Export, Documentation and Shipping

We export PET bottle scrap from the UAE through Jebel Ali and Khor Fakkan to the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, the Far East, Africa, Europe and the Americas. Standard documents include commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and bill of lading, with optional pre-shipment inspection by SGS, Bureau Veritas or Intertek. Photographic loading reports are supplied for every container. The HS code family for PET waste and scrap is 3915, with the exact subheading confirmed on the invoice according to the form supplied.

Sustainability and the Circular Economy

Recycling PET bottles saves substantial energy compared with producing virgin polymer and keeps a durable, food-safe material in productive use. The bottle-to-bottle loop is one of the most successful examples of circularity in any industry, and it depends entirely on the collection and processing quality of streams like the ones Al Saham Al Ahmar handles. Clean bales from the UAE feed washing plants that supply fibre mills and rPET producers worldwide, reducing landfill and marine litter while cutting carbon emissions per tonne of finished product.

Why Buy From Al Saham Al Ahmar

• Consistent PET supply from municipal and industrial sources across the Emirates.
• Full form range – bales, de-capped bottles, washed flakes and recycled pellets.
• Quality verification – PVC testing, moisture measurement and third-party inspection on request.
• Related grades – we also supply HDPE jerry can scrap, HDPE blue drum scrap and PPCP and PP scrap.
• Export expertise – documentation, inspection and shipping handled in-house.
• Sharjah base – fast access to Jebel Ali and the GCC road network.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you supply hot-washed PET flakes?

Yes. Hot-washed, dried flakes in clear, blue, green and mixed colour are our main export grades, alongside baled bottles.

What PVC level can you guarantee?

For premium clear flake lots we target below 100 ppm of PVC, verified by sorting checks and optional third-party testing. The exact limit is agreed per contract.

Is the material food-grade?

Food-grade status depends on the full input traceability and the buyer’s own approved process. We can supply material from known beverage and water sources with supporting documentation.

What is the minimum order?

Export orders normally start at one 40 foot container. Local buyers in the UAE can be served in smaller quantities.

Do you buy PET bottles from my business in the UAE?

Yes. We collect PET bottle scrap from generators throughout the Emirates with weighing and documentation at site.

Al Saham Al Ahmar Metal Scrap Trading
ADDRESS: Sajja Industrial Area, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Ferrous and non-ferrous metal scrap, recycled polymers and industrial by-products — traded locally and exported worldwide.

WhatsApp / Call: +971 52 924 4592