More brands are looking again at the bottles they use. They’re responding to customers asking how much recycled plastic they are using and now the UK Plastic Packaging Tax is also part of the conversation, with the rate rising to £228.82 per tonne from April 2026 on plastic packaging that contains less than 30% recycled plastic.
This is where the terminology can get confusing. PET is one of the most common plastics used for clear bottles. rPET is recycled PET. PCR means post-consumer recycled plastic, which is plastic that has already been used by consumers, collected and processed so it can be used again.
That means the choice comes down to how much recycled content you want, what your product needs from the bottle and how the finished packaging should look and perform.
At iBottles, we supply clear PET bottles, recycled rPET bottles and PCR containers to UK brands in flexible quantities, so you can compare the options before committing to a bulk order. This guide explains what the terms mean, how PET recycling works, how PET and rPET differ in practice, and what to check before choosing the right bottle for your product.
What is PET, and why is it the standard bottle plastic?
PET stands for Polyethylene Terephthalate, and it's the plastic behind most of the clear bottles consumers handle every day. It's lightweight, durable, shatter-resistant and transparent, which is exactly why it became the standard for drinks bottles, water bottles, cosmetic packaging and countless other containers.
Chemically, virgin PET is built from two raw materials: ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. These combine into a long polymer chain, and the raw materials themselves come from crude oil and natural gas. That oil link matters later, because it's a big part of why recycled PET is attractive on both cost and carbon.
The reason PET became the most common type of bottle plastic comes down to its rare mix of properties. It's clear enough to show off a product and strong enough to survive a supply chain and a delivery van. It’s also light enough to keep transport costs down, and widely recyclable at the end of its life. According to industry body PETRA, PET is the most recycled plastic worldwide, and it doesn't contain BPA or phthalates. For most liquids, that combination is hard to beat, which is why so many brands still reach for virgin PET first.
What are rPET and PCR bottles?
rPET is short for recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate. It's PET that has been collected, cleaned and reprocessed into new bottles instead of being made from fresh crude oil. Because rPET and virgin PET are the same polymer, an rPET bottle behaves like a PET bottle in almost every way that matters on the filling line and on the shelf.
PCR is a closely related label you'll see used alongside it. PCR means post-consumer recycled, in other words plastic recovered from products that people have already used and thrown away, such as collected PET bottles put out for kerbside recycling. The contrast is with pre-consumer recyclate, which is offcuts and waste from the factory floor before anything reaches a customer. So when you see "30% PCR", it's telling you that the recycled portion is specifically post consumer, the type regulators increasingly care about.
Many ranges offer 30% recycled or 30% PCR, some sit at 50%, and others go all the way to 100% rPET. iBottles stocks across that whole spectrum, including clear 100% PCR and 50% recycled lines. The higher the recycled content, the stronger your sustainability story, though as we'll see, very high percentages are also where appearance can vary a little more.
The UK Plastic Packaging Tax adds pressure to recycle
Since April 2022 the UK has charged a Plastic Packaging Tax on plastic packaging that contains less than 30% recycled plastic. Packaging that hits 30% or more recycled content does not incur the tax at all.
That single 30% threshold explains a lot about today's market. It's exactly why "30% recycled" and "30% PCR" products are so common, including in our own range. Many brands blend to that level to step over the tax line without jumping straight to 100% rPET. The tax rate itself rises to £228.82 per tonne from 1 April 2026, so the gap between taxed and untaxed packaging is only widening.
There are two things buyers should be aware of. Even if your packaging is already 30%+ recycled, you still have to register with HMRC if you manufacture or import 10 tonnes or more of finished plastic packaging in a 12-month period. And if you sell into the EU, the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) sets minimum recycled content targets that ramp up to 2030 and 2040. Recycled content is becoming a baseline expectation across much of Europe too.
What to consider as you transition to rPET
Switching from PET to rPET or PCR is a positive step, but it is still worth making the choice carefully. At iBottles, we help brands compare the options before they commit, so they can choose a bottle that supports their sustainability goals while still looking, filling and performing the way their product needs it to.
Appearance and branding
Decide how much visibility matters for your product. If a faint tint is fine, rPET is an easy win. If your brand depends on glass-clear bottles or exact colour matching, test first. Think about how your labels sit on the bottle too, since a slightly different base tint can change how artwork and white labels read.
Product compatibility
PET and rPET are the most common types of clear bottle plastic for liquids, cosmetics and personal care products, and most formulations sit comfortably within their tolerance. Of course, for products with unusual chemistry, hot-fill needs or a very long shelf life, it is worth confirming with your supplier or testing before committing.
Closure choice
Make sure your existing caps, pumps and droppers fit the new bottle's neck. A switch in a bottle is a good moment to confirm closure fit rather than assume it, especially across child-resistant or tamper-evident caps.
Recycled content and tax position
Choose the recycled content level that best fits your goals. If you want packaging that meets the 30% recycled content threshold for Plastic Packaging Tax, a 30% recycled or 30% PCR bottle may be a strong fit. If you want recycled content to play a bigger role in your sustainability message, 50% or 100% rPET options can make that commitment more visible. At iBottles, we can help you compare the options and find the right balance between recycled content, appearance, availability and product suitability.
Browse iBottles' PET, rPET and PCR ranges
Choosing between PET, rPET and PCR does not need to be complicated. At iBottles, we stock a wide range of bottles including clear PET bottles, 30% recycled and 30% PCR options, and 100% PCR and rPET bottles for brands that want to make recycled content a bigger part of their packaging.
The easiest way to choose is to test first. With no minimum order quantity, you can order a single bottle, fill it with your product, and check the clarity, label fit and finish before you scale up.
You can also choose from a wide range of shapes, sizes and closures, with free UK mainland delivery on orders over £50 net, fast dispatch from our own site, and ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 accreditation behind every order.
Ready to find the right bottle? Browse the PET, rPET and PCR ranges online, or call the iBottles team on 01298 815 000 for practical help choosing the right bottle, closure and recycled content for your product.