Polyethylene Terephthalate is not considered toxic. Heat treatment of recycled PET flakes removes any volatiles, making them safe and meeting the requirements for direct food contact.

According to the ILIS study, PET is biologically inert if ingested, is dermally safe during handling, and is not a hazard if inhaled. In addition, no evidence of toxicity has been detected in feeding studies using animals. The study states, “Similar studies conducted with monomers and typical PET intermediates also show that these materials are essentially non-toxic and pose no threats to human health.”

Additionally, PET bottles and containers that are discarded in landfills pose no risk of harm or leaching. Because it is inert, it is resistant to attack by micro-organisms and won't biologically degrade. PET bottles can also easily be crushed flat to take up relatively little landfill space.

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