265,000 Jobs Created by PET*
*Estimate calculated by comparing total US plastics industry employment (source: 2017 US Bureau of Labor Statistics) with total number of people employed by NAPCOR member companies.
The plastics industry alone generates more than a million jobs in the US, many of them within the areas of PET manufacturing, PET-related products, and PET recycling operations. And now, with the demand for products containing recycled PET on the rise, the future for PET-related employment looks even brighter for a wide range of industries, from food and beverage to apparel and carpet.
A Positive Impact on Adverse Events
PET containers and bottles are a go-to choice whenever natural disasters damage or destroy public water supplies and treatment facilities. Catastrophic events, including earthquakes, floods, and hurricanes, as well as temporary municipal water system shutdowns, make access to safe, drinkable water virtually impossible. Fortunately, durable PET bottles and containers can quickly be shipped directly to the scene, providing storm victims or affected residents with clean drinking water and food, plus protection from potential disease, illness, and contamination.
PET’s Global Impact
PET bottle recycling rates around the world, in 2023: The US PET bottle collection rate was 33%, the highest recycling rate in nearly three decades.
The average amount of post-consumer recycled PET used in US bottles and jars was 16.2%, the highest level ever.
The North American (the US, Canada, and Mexico) PET bottle recycling rate was 41.3%, also a new all-time high.
Globally, PET has a recovery rate above 50%.
Source: NAPCOR 2023 PET Recycling Report
We're Doing a Job on the Economy
The PET industry is a growing field with a wide range of occupations available to job seekers.
- Packaging engineer
- Chemist
- Materials engineer
- Machine operator
- Manufacturing
- Construction
- Tool programmer
- Machinist
- Extruding/pressing
- Industrial designer
- Fabrication/assembly
- Maintenance
- Facilities manager
- Mechanical engineer
- Shipping/receiving
- Drafters
- Administration
- Data entry
- Sales engineer
- Human resources
- Computer technician
- Technical writer
- Accounting
- Logistics
- Recycler
- Process technician
- Mold maker
PET Jobs Make Dollars and Sense
Plastics industry average annual US wages by occupation.
 Building Maintenance |
$29,260 |
| Machinist |
$40,760 |
| Customer Service |
$41,880 |
| Drafter |
$53,360 |
| Purchasing Agent |
$60,740 |
| Materials Engineer |
$87,780 |