And why it’s the more conscious choice than you think.

When you hear “plastic,” you often assume it’s the less sustainable option, right? But what if we told you that not all plastics are created equal, and not all metals are as eco-friendly as they seem. Let’s cut into the marketing hype and dig into the facts to learn why recycled PET (rPET) (yes, plastic) is often the smarter, safer, and more sustainable choice for both people and planet.

Production footprint: Aluminum is extremely energy-hungry

Let’s start at the beginning: Making the raw materials. Virgin aluminum production is incredibly energy-intensive. It requires mining bauxite ore, refining it into alumina, and then smelting it into aluminum. This process uses up to 200 MJ of energy per kilogram, often powered by heavy coal using nations like China, leading to massive CO₂ emissions.

Virgin PET, while not perfect, requires about 30 MJ/kg to manufacture. That’s nearly seven times less energy! And when we look at rPET, the energy savings are even greater. Recycled PET uses about 10 MJ/kg, while recycled aluminum still requires 50–95 MJ/kg, depending on the process and location.

Sources:
Aluminum: Primary (virgin) aluminum production is extremely energy-intensive, requiring approximately 190–230 MJ/kg of aluminum produced (1) (2) (3)
Recycled aluminum: Using recycled aluminum consumes only about 5 – 10% of the energy of virgin production, roughly ~10–20 MJ/kg (1) (2)
Virgin PET: Molded PET bottle production typically uses about 8–20 MJ/kg, depending on design and thickness. (1) (2) (3) (4)
Recycled PET (rPET): Mechanical recycling processes reduce energy consumption significantly—with one study showing energy drops from ~70 MJ to ~15 MJ/kg and carbon emissions ~79% below virgin PET levels. (1)
PET plastic bottles deemed more sustainable than aluminium or glass (1)

Recycling reality: Not all “Infinitely Recyclable” claims hold… water

You’ve probably heard this one before: “Aluminum is infinitely recyclable.” True in theory, but in practice? Well, not so much.

Across the EU, only about 50% of aluminum packaging is actually recycled. The rest ends up in landfills or is incinerated. Recycling rates vary wildly by country and infrastructure. Worse, many aluminum bottles are coated inside with plastic liners, which makes them harder to recycle properly.

Recycled PET bottles, on the other hand, have seen growing investment in closed-loop recycling systems across Europe. The EU’s Single Use Plastics Directive has pushed for minimum rPET content in bottles, increasing both demand and recycling infrastructure. PET is also lighter and more widely accepted in existing recycling streams.

Sources:
Aluminium recycling page on Wikipedia notes wide variation in aluminium recycling rates across Europe with some countries recycling as low as ~35–36% while others exceed 90%. This rates counted only beverage cans (lightweight aluminum which is different from fragrance standard aluminum) (1)
Eurostat Packaging Waste Statistics show that in 2022, average recycling of metals packaging in the EU hovered around 50%, meaning the other ~50% goes to landfill, incineration, or energy recovery (1)
Wikipedia’s PET bottle recycling entry states that closed-loop recycling is primarily industrially practical only for PET bottles, and PET has been the main focus of technologically successful bottle-to-bottle recycling schemes (1) (2)

Transportation: PET is lighter, which means fewer emissions

Weight matters. A standard 100ml PET bottle weighs about 8 grams. The same size in aluminum? Around 20–25 grams. Multiply that by thousands of units, and you get a huge difference in shipping emissions. Transportation accounts for up to 30% of a product’s carbon footprint. By choosing lightweight PET, we’re able to ship more with less fuel, which directly reduces our impact.

Cost and accessibility: PET wins for small businesses and crafters

Aluminum is expensive. Not just to produce, but to source (main producers India and China). Using aluminum would significantly raise the cost of our oils, which goes against our goal of offering high-quality ingredients at fair prices. Recycled PET offers a more affordable, scalable option. It helps us keep our products accessible without compromising safety or quality.

Sources:
Reuters reports and market analyses highlight that aluminum production is constrained and energy-intensive, particularly in China and India, the world’s largest producers. (1)
Industry commentary confirms that aluminum cans are generally more expensive to manufacture than plastic bottles, and the conversion to PET offers cost advantages beyond just tariff avoidance (1)
PET resin raw material costs are significantly lower with relatively stable pricing over years, making PET more predictable and cost-effective for small-scale and scaling businesses (1)

Safety and Storage: PET is More Than Up to the Task

It’s true that fragrance oils are traditionally stored in aluminum. This is the industry standard. But that’s more about bulk industrial storage over many years, not the smaller, ready-to-use sizes we ship.

Our 10g, 50g, 100g etc bottles are designed for crafters who use the oils quickly (usually within a few weeks). When stored properly (in a cool, dark place), rPET bottles are chemically safe and non-reactive, especially for short- to mid-term storage. Aluminum on the other hand, and despite its reputation, has its own risks, especially when the internal liner degrades or when bottles are exposed to strong acids or bases over time.

Sources:
PET is widely regarded as chemically inert and is often used in the food, beverage, and cosmetic industries. (1)
PET and HDPE are both acceptable materials for essential oil storage when used correctly (1) (2)

Ethics and transparency: What green claims really mean

We believe sustainability shouldn’t be a competition of who can throw around the fanciest terms. It should be about actual outcomes: Less energy use, fewer emissions, and realistic recycling. Bold marketing claims do not count as facts about actual energy cost, supply chain impact, or recycling bottlenecks.

“Sustainability” isn’t just a buzzword. It’s about transparency, smart sourcing, and real impact. So, next time you see claims like “infinitely recyclable” or “premium sustainability,” take a moment to ask the right questions: Is the container made from already recycled material or virgin stock? Where is it sourced from, locally or shipped across continents? And how much of that fancy packaging is inflating the price you pay? Do you really want to pay for a packaging you don’t know if it is going to be actually recycled?

Conclusion: why we chose rPET

In short, recycled PET gives us the best of all worlds: low energy use, realistic recyclability, safe storage, and light weight for transport. It helps us serve our customers more affordably and sustainably without greenwashing. Plastic isn’t always the villain. And metal isn’t always the hero. Sometimes, the most conscious choice is the one backed by science, not just perception.