The use of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) as a support material for TiO 2 films in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) for water treatment was investigated. A green, low-cost immobilization procedure was developed and the amount of deposited photocatalyst ranged from 0.036 to 0.202 mg per cm 2 PET. Photocatalytic activity of the films was evidenced by degrading paracetamol solutions under UV radiation. The highest kinetic constants were observed for at least 0.09 mg TiO 2 per cm 2 PET. Scan electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) analyses indicated 0.15 mg TiO 2 per cm 2 PET as enough to provide complete covering of the PET support. Characterization analyses were also performed with a film after 30 h of use in a UV/TiO 2 /O 3 reactor. According to SEM analyses, the photocatalyst was not detached from the PET support, while EDX and gravimetric data indicated the possibility of the TiO 2 to have been contaminated by compounds present in the solution during the treatment. V C 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40175.