Is PET Plastic Environmentally Sustainable?
Yes. Fact-based, science-driven, peer-reviewed research confirms that PET (polyethylene terephthalate ♳) bottles are better for the environment than aluminum cans or glass bottles.
Comparative Life Cycle Assessment Report
NAPCOR commissioned Franklin Associates to explore the environmental impacts of beverage bottles and cans in the US. The result is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Published in 2023, it provides fact-based, science-driven, peer-reviewed evidence concluding that, compared with glass and aluminum, PET plastic delivers significant environmental savings across several key categories.
Energy Consumed 
Water Consumption 
Smog 
Greenhouse Gas Emissions 
Acid Rain 
Eutrophication Potential About the Comparative LCA
An LCA is a scientific method for evaluating the environmental benefits and tradeoffs for the entire life cycle of a product—from raw material extraction through production, use, reuse or recycling where applicable, and final dispositions. The 2023 Comparative LCA looked at nine of the most commonly used beverage containers for carbonated soft drinks (CSD) and still water. The study compared PET plastic, glass, and aluminum and underwent a rigorous, independent, and thorough peer-review process that verified the methodology and findings over the course of eight months.
Understanding the 2023 Comparative Life Cycle Assessment on PET Plastic
PET plastic bottles produce significantly fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
PET requires less energy to produce than its glass and aluminum counterparts.
Beyond PET’s beneficial reduction of global warming, PET plastic bottles also produce less solid waste, use less water, and generate fewer emissions that harm air and water quality during production.
The total life-cycle impact of a PET beverage container is lower than that of glass or aluminum.
PET beverage container systems, accounting for the largest share of US carbonated soft drink (CSD) and bottled domestic still water sales, compare favorably with the predominant aluminum and glass container systems for these applications.
Glass bottles have the most harmful environmental metrics evaluated, followed by aluminum cans, then PET bottles.
All comparisons of PET CSD bottles with glass bottles and all comparisons of PET water bottles with aluminum cans show that PET is better for the environment.
PET Forward: A Roadmap to Lower Emissions
The 2023 comparative life cycle assessment shows that PET plastic bottles already have a lower environmental impact than glass bottles and aluminum cans. Now, new peer-reviewed research published in 2026 examines how the US PET bottle industry can reduce its greenhouse gas emissions even further.
PET Forward: A Decarbonization Roadmap for the US PET Bottle Industry identifies practical steps across the PET bottle life cycle—from raw materials and manufacturing to transportation, collection, and recycling. If the actions outlined in the roadmap are implemented, the life cycle greenhouse gas emissions intensity of the PET beverage bottle systems studied could decline by approximately 57% for each liter of beverage packaged by 2050. Total annual emissions could fall by about 42%, even as production grows.
Learn how public policy can help turn the roadmap into progress 
Two reports, one conclusion: PET plastic is sustainable
2023 Comparative Life Cycle Assessment: How PET Compares Today
2026 PET Forward Decarbonization Roadmap: How PET Can Improve by 2050
These peer-reviewed studies answer different questions. While the 2023 comparative life cycle assessment evaluates the environmental impacts of PET bottles against glass bottles and aluminum cans, the 2026 PET Forward roadmap focuses exclusively on US PET beverage bottle systems and examines how to reduce their life cycle greenhouse gas emissions through 2050.