Using recycled materials (such as paper, aluminum, and polyester) is better for the environment than using virgin materials (such as trees, bauxite ore, and petroleum). In many cases, the recycled materials are also cheaper to use. For example, “Plastics News, a trade magazine, lists the recent price of PET virgin bottle resin pellets between 83 and 85 cents a pound, compared to only 58 to 66 cents a pound for PET recycled pellets.”37 And the cost advantage only increases as virgin materials become scarcer. What are some of the advantages to a business of using recycled polyester (PET) to replace virgin polyester manufactured from petroleum?

What kinds of systems could be put in place to recapture polyester (including beverage bottles and textiles) for recycling? What business opportunities might this suggest?