Pera Innovation will be turning old PET bottles into reinforcedwater pipes

Pera Innovation will be turning old PET bottles into reinforced water pipes

A UK project to investigate how old PET bottles can be turned into water pipe reinforcement has been awarded Ј152,000 (E218,000) grant.

Pera Innovation will demonstrate how PET fibres and tape from waste bottles and packaging can be treated and reused to overwrap low-pressure plastic water pipes. This would then produce a cost-effective high pressure reinforced thermoplastic pipe.

Pera head of composites Laurence Dingle said: “We have to make a specific product and develop the wrapping process. The aim is to develop a low-cost pipe that can handle high pressure. The beauty of it is that the only bit coming into contact with water is the virgin product.”

A sample of reinforced pipe will be made and tested to ensure that it meets the required criteria for high-pressure pipes applications. The investigation will be complemented by an interim life cycle analysis of the products to assess their commercial viability.

The money was provided by The Onyx Environmental Trust, a charity formed under the landfill tax regulations which allow landfill site operators to contribute up to 6.5% of the tax they collect to fund such projects.