PET Container Recycling Europe, commonly known as Petcore, is a Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

-based non-profit Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

an trade association.

Petcore was founded in 1992 to promote the collection, sorting and recycling of post-consumer PET

Polyethylene terephthalate

Polyethylene terephthalate , commonly abbreviated PET, PETE, or the obsolete PETP or PET-P, is a thermoplastic polymer resin of the polyester family and is used in synthetic fibers; beverage, food and other liquid containers; thermoforming applications; and engineering resins often in combination...

 bottles. It networks with national collection agencies, governments, and the recycling industry. Used PET, or polyethylene terphthalate bottles are light-weight but once collected, sorted and pressed into bales, they become a valuable feedstock for a range of products. End markets for recycled PET include polyester

Polyester

Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate...

fibre, sheet, strapping, and new bottles.

In 2010, 1,451,000 tons of PET were collected and recycled in Europe, representing a collection rate of over 48.3 percent. This collection has been growing by an average of 20% per year.