Aminolytic depolymerization of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) bottle waste with ethanolamine and hydrazine hydrate under atmospheric conditions was investigated in the presence of room temperature ionic liquids. 1-Hexyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethanesulfonate (Hmim.TfO) and 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate (Bmim.HSO4). (Hmim.TfO) was found to be the most efficient catalyst to obtain high yields of the aminolysis products bis(2-hydroxy ethylene) terephthalamide and terephthalic dihydrazide using ethanolamine and hydrazine hydrate, respectively. These products were characterized by IR spectroscopy, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, mass spectroscopy, and differential scanning calorimetry. The influence of experimental parameters, such as the amount of catalyst, reaction time, molar ratio of ethanolamine, and hydrazine hydrate with respect to PET was investigated. This protocol proves to be efficient and environmentally benign in terms of high yields (>84%) and low reaction times (up to 30 min). (c) 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012