The plastic bottle, or poly-
ethylene terephthalate (PET), recycling industry has nearly doubled its tonnage since 2005 through the introduction of the voluntary recycling levy for producers of the plastic.

The PET industry has invested some R130-million in recycling infrastructure in South Africa and contributed more than R60-million towards supporting and extending the collection of post-consumer PET nationally.

PET recycling company Petco aims to achieve 38% recycling of plastic bottles by 2010, by establishing accountability among manufacturers, importers and sellers of plastic bottle packaging nationally.

The organisation is the first to introduce the principle of 
extended producer responsibility 
(EPR), in which producers of PET are encouraged to contribute a levy on a voluntary basis. Petco CEO Cheri Scholtz says that this is one of the ways that the company has ensured its steady and successful growth.

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