Can R-PET be transported in the same silo trailer as virgin PET?

Technically yes — the equipment is the same, a pneumatic silo trailer in aluminium or stainless steel. Procedurally there is one important difference: food-grade R-PET requires a silo trailer with a documented load history confirming that it has never transported non-food-grade materials. This narrows the pool of silo trailers ready for this transport — in practice, selected units in the fleet.

What is the density of R-PET vs virgin PET?

Virgin PET: 1.32-1.40 g/cm³ (depending on structure — amorphous vs crystalline). Mechanical R-PET (flake or regrind): 1.30-1.38 g/cm³. Chemical R-PET (after depolymerisation and repolymerisation): practically identical to virgin, 1.36-1.40 g/cm³. The density differences are irrelevant for silo trailer payload.

Is R-PET warm at loading after depolymerisation?

Yes — in chemical PET recycling processes (glycolysis, methanolysis, acid depolymerisation) the pellets leave the reactor at 40-60°C. A standard aluminium or stainless steel silo trailer tolerates 60°C without any problem. Some shippers prefer loading after full cooling — in that case the regranulate rests in the warehouse for 12-48h before dispatch.

What does 'a dedicated food-grade silo trailer' mean?

A silo trailer with a documented load history confirming that it has transported exclusively food-grade or food-safe materials (sugar, flour, food-grade R-PET, virgin food-grade granulates). It has never been used for cement, lime or chemical materials. A cleanliness certificate is issued with every cycle — documentation that is key for RecyClass and ISCC audits.

Is there a dedicated certificate for food-grade R-PET?

Yes. The most important: the EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) assessment of recycled material for food contact; the FDA Letter of No Objection (US market); the RecyClass food-grade tier; EuPIA for food applications. Within the transport chain: ISCC PLUS for mass balance tracking; RecyClass Recycled Plastics for recycler certification.

What are the typical R-PET transport routes in the EU?

R-PET produced in PL/CZ → bottle producer in DE/AT (the most common route, 400-800 km). R-PET from Spain/Italy → DE/FR (longer, 1,200-1,800 km). R-PET from chemical recycling in NL/AT → bottle producer in PL/CZ/HU. Silo trailers from the Chorula base mainly serve the PL→DACH segment — 4 km from the A4, 180 km to the DE border.

What to do with the silo trailer between two food-grade R-PET cycles?

The procedure between cycles: (1) full unloading down to the last pellet; (2) visual inspection of the chamber at the manhole and valves; (3) blow-through with dry compressed air (water is not permitted — PET is hygroscopic); (4) an entry in the cycle register; (5) readiness for the next loading. We use wet washing exclusively after a category change (e.g. between food R-PET and non-food R-HDPE).

transport regulacje 09.10.2024 PHS Magnum

R-PET Transport by Silo – Differences vs Virgin PET

Name: PHS Magnum
Address: ul. Kościelna 9, Chorula, Opolskie, 47-316, PL
Telephone: +48 602 716 551
Price range: $$

A pneumatic silo trailer after refurbishment — dedicated to food-grade R-PET transport, PHS Magnum

In brief

R-PET (recycled polyethylene terephthalate) is transported in the same pneumatic silo trailers as virgin PET, but with stricter procedures: a dedicated food-grade fleet, a documented load history, batch traceability, a cleanliness certificate for every cycle. The technical differences are minimal: pellet density practically identical, load temperature may be elevated (40-60°C after depolymerisation), moisture sensitivity higher (PET is hygroscopic). With recycled content forced by PPWR (30% in PET bottles from 2030, 65% from 2035) — the R-PET transport segment will be the fastest-growing in the EU.

Three types of R-PET and their characteristics

Mechanical R-PET (physical recycling)

Process: colour sorting of bottles → grinding into flake → washing → drying → regranulation in an extruder. Result: pellets slightly less uniform than virgin, minor discolouration possible.

Applications: non-food packaging, textile fibres, strapping. Price: 5-15% below virgin.

Food-grade R-PET

Process: mechanical R-PET passing through a super-clean process (elevated temperatures, extended vacuum stages, decontamination). Result: pellets meeting EFSA standards for food contact.

Applications: beverage bottles, food packaging. Price: at virgin level or above (a segment with PPWR-driven demand).

Chemical R-PET (depolymerisation)

Process: PET waste → chemical reaction (glycolysis, methanolysis) → monomer → repolymerisation → pellets identical to virgin. Result: 100% virgin quality, accepted by all food-grade certificates.

Applications: any virgin PET application. Price: initially above virgin (a young technology), 2027-2030 forecast: parity with virgin.

All three types are transported in pneumatic silo trailers exactly like virgin PET. The differences lie at the level of procedures, not equipment.

Four key operational differences

1. Batch traceability

Every R-PET batch has a batch number from the recycling plant, a production date, a recycled content certificate (PCR Content), and possibly a food-grade certificate. The carrier must enter these data on the CMR and pass them to the consignee.

The digital CMR (e-CMR) is becoming the standard from 2026 — the system automatically transmits the batch data along with a loading photograph.

2. Silo trailer cleanliness certificate

Before loading R-PET (especially food-grade), the shipper often requires a silo trailer cleanliness certificate — a document issued by the carrier containing: the history of the last 3-5 loads, the date and method of the last cleaning, a visual chamber inspection signed by the driver.

For dedicated food-grade silo trailers — the history is long-term (from the vehicle’s purchase, it has carried only food-grade).

3. Load temperature

R-PET fresh from the depolymerisation process can be at 40-60°C. Standard aluminium and stainless steel silo trailers tolerate this temperature. The silo trailer’s engineering plastics (EPDM or silicone seals, PTFE/PP aeration pads) must have the appropriate temperature class — most components are rated to 100°C as standard.

Some shippers prefer full cooling of the batch to ambient temperature before dispatch (12-48h of resting in the warehouse) — then there are no additional thermal requirements.

4. Moisture

PET is hygroscopic — it absorbs moisture from the air. Moisture in R-PET raises the water content in the final packaging and degrades its mechanical properties (hydrolysis).

Procedure: blowing the silo trailer through with dry compressed air between cycles (never water). The load is dried at the consignee’s plant before use.

Chamber cleanliness — the biggest risk

Contamination of R-PET by residues of other materials is the biggest transport risk. Consequences:

PVC contamination: changes the colour, lowers the melting point, makes the R-PET unfit for transparent bottles
Polyolefin contamination (PE/PP): creates opaque spots in the final bottle, the batch is rejected
Contamination with non-food materials: disqualifies the batch from the food-grade segment

The PHS Magnum procedure for food-grade R-PET silo trailers:

Dedicated vehicles (the entire load history = food-grade only)
Blow-through with dry compressed air between every cycle
Visual inspection of the chamber at the manhole, discharge valve, aeration pads
An entry in the cycle register (date, load, location, driver, signature)
A cleanliness certificate at the shipper’s request (ISO 9001:2015 standard)

We use wet washing exclusively on a category change (e.g. after carrying non-food R-HDPE, before the next food-grade R-PET). Washing requires 24-48h of drying time.

Shipper requirements — a checklist

What the shipper should specify in a food-grade R-PET transport order:

Requirement of a dedicated food-grade silo trailer (full load history)
Chamber cleanliness certificate on the day of loading
Maximum load temperature at loading (typically 50°C)
Moisture requirements (typically: the load comes from a climate-controlled warehouse)
Batch traceability (batch number, PCR Content certificate)
Digital CMR with a loading photograph
Driver trained in PPLP procedures (Regulation 2025/2365)
Carrier certificates: ISO 9001, OCS, RecyClass, ISCC PLUS

What PHS Magnum offers in the R-PET segment

Dedicated food-grade silo trailers — selected units in the fleet of 31, dedicated to food-grade granulates
Cleanliness procedures — compliant with ISO 9001:2015 and OCS guidelines
Cycle traceability — a register of every loading-transport-unloading cycle
Route geography — 4 km from the A4, 180 km from the DE border; PL→DACH routes in 12-24h
Drivers trained in PPLP — mandatory training in the procedures of Regulation 2025/2365 since 2025

Contact: biuro@magnumchorula.pl, +48 602 716 551.

About the author

This content was prepared by the PHS Magnum team in cooperation with Aleksy Pasternak — the company’s Managing Partner, a bulk material transport expert with 35 years of experience in trading plastic granulates, recyclates and industrial minerals in the EU. Aleksy publishes industry analyses on the expert portal pasternak.me, where you will find further studies on regulatory topics (PPLP, PPWR, OCS), technical topics (silo trailers, TDT) and operational topics (big-bag transloading, repackaging).