APR Bharat Collects 50,000+ PET Bottles in India Recycling Awareness Campaign

The Association of PET Recyclers (APR Bharat) says its 15-day “Bottle Ki Recycle Yatra” campaign collected more than 50,000 used polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles for recycling across India, while reaching nearly 1 million people with recycling awareness messages.

The campaign was conducted along routes associated with the annual Kanwar Yatra, a major Hindu pilgrimage, where APR Bharat deployed a specially designed van to engage with pilgrims and the wider public on responsible PET bottle disposal. Campaign personnel also collected used PET bottles generated during the pilgrimage and directed them into the formal recycling system.

According to APR Bharat, the initiative demonstrated the potential of targeted, on-the-ground campaigns to encourage responsible disposal and increase the flow of used PET bottles into recycling channels. The organization estimates that around 90% of used PET bottles in India are currently recovered and recycled, but says more than 90% of Indians remain unaware that used PET bottles can be recycled into new bottles.

“Through direct engagement with citizens along the Kanwar Yatra route, the campaign sought to reinforce the message that a used PET bottle is not waste but a valuable resource that can be collected, recycled and reintroduced into the circular economy,” APR Bharat said.

Goutham Jain, Director General of APR Bharat, said the campaign showed that direct public engagement can translate recycling awareness into behavioral action. He added that reaching nearly 1 million people and collecting more than 50,000 PET bottles in 15 days has encouraged the organization to consider expanding the initiative to a larger national platform.

The campaign comes as India seeks to strengthen its domestic petrochemical and recycling industries. APR Bharat said the transition toward recycled-content PET (rPET) is important for improving resource security, reducing reliance on imports and building a more resilient domestic packaging supply chain.

According to Jain and APR Bharat, the Indian government has mandated the use of 40% recycled inputs in plastic packaging by fiscal year 2026–2027. However, the organization said implementation on the ground remains limited, highlighting the need to strengthen collection systems and accelerate the transition toward a closed-loop packaging ecosystem.

APR Bharat also pointed to volatility in global polymer supply chains and India's expanding domestic recycling capacity as factors increasing the strategic importance of PET recycling. The organization said recovered PET can serve not only as a waste-management solution but also as a domestic resource that can be reused in manufacturing, supporting a more circular and resource-efficient economy.

Source: Sustainable Packaging Middle East & Africa

SUNSHINE Spotlight: APR Bharat’s campaign highlights the role of PET collection and public awareness in supplying recycled material for India’s packaging industry.