PET in general use?

[Victor Steinbok]

Some drink-container-specific recycling bins--such as those installed at
some schools, airports, etc.--are labeled "Glass, Aluminum, PET
Bottles", or, possibly, a rearrangement that mentions both bottles and
cans. Other bins just say "plastic", but that's problematic because not
all numbered plastics are recyclable everywhere. According to Wiki, PET
was patented in 1941 and PET bottle--in 1973.

     VS-)

On 11/15/2011 3:23 PM, Benjamin Barrett wrote:
> I first heard petto botoru (PET bottle) about twenty years ago in Japan, =
> referring to the bottles made out of polyethylene terephthalate. In =
> Japan, hard plastic is called purasuchikku (plastic) and soft plastic =
> such as used for bags is called =E3=83=93=E3=83=8B=E3=83=BC=E3=83=AB =
> (vinyl); as neither word for "plastic" is appropriate for plastic =
> bottles, it seems PET was adopted.=20
>
> When translating petto or PET to English, I therefore use "plastic."
>
> I was surprised last night to find "PET bottles" listed as contents on =
> the side of a Mr. Beer beer crafting kit.=20
>
> I see that the word is used in community forums discussing their PET =
> bottles:
>
> =
> http://community.mrbeer.com/index.php?option=3Dcom_kunena&Itemid=3D124&fun=
> c=3Dview&catid=3D8&id=3D186964
> =
> http://mrbeer.net/index.php?option=3Dcom_kunena&Itemid=3D124&func=3Dview&c=
> atid=3D8&id=3D188179
>
> The OED has PET back to 1965, with another citation in 1991 (nothing on =
> the AHD). The 1965 citation is chemical and the 1991 is garbage-related, =
> so neither seem to be indicative of popular usage.=20
>
> I don't imagine people latching onto PET soon for plastic Coke bottles, =
> but at least the beer-crafting segment of the population is becoming =
> acquainted with the term.
>
> Benjamin Barrett
> Seattle, WA=

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