Over the last few years there has been a progressively more consistent commitment by manufacturers aimed at lightening PET packaging.
Despite the successes achieved, this process does not show any sign of stopping, since technology, together with investments in Research & Development by companies, always allows new improvements.
In 10 years the weight of PET bottles has almost halved
According to market research, it has been estimated that in the first 11 years of 2000 the weight of PET bottles has been progressively almost halved, with consequent economic advantages for companies, as well as - more generally - for the environment.
Research by the IBWA (International Bottled Water Association) has shown, already several years ago, that the average weight of a standard 0.5-liter bottle has dropped on average from 16.9 to 9.89 grams (-47%).
Starting from these data, the plastic used in the packaging industry has resulted in a decrease of about 1.5 billion kg, based on the same volume of products placed on the market. In parallel with these factors, the percentage of PET reused for new containers has increased substantially, while considering that, especially in this case, there is ample room for further improvement.
Concrete example of "Neck Lightweighting" and return on the investment
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The complex lightweighting process and the consequent objectives
The overall lightweighting process involved all packaging: primary, secondary and tertiary, bringing together widespread benefits.
The goal of the producers, in addition to cost savings and greater ethical attention linked to the protection of the planet, was and is to use fewer raw materials without altering the performance of the containers in any way, therefore without creating any inconvenience to end consumers.
The new lightening processes of PET bottles: the focus on packages
The lightening process on plastic packaging, as anticipated, does not stop. Focusing on PET bottles, it should be remembered that the search for increasingly lighter solutions concerns:
- neck and cap of the bottles
- lightening of the entire preform
- calculation of axial and radial stretching ratios
Precisely the neck of the bottles is the point where you can still see substantial improvements in terms of lightening. The development processes include new finishes designs, while guaranteeing the same performance of bottles created with a more consistent weight, the same closures, equal handling by the final consumer and, above all, unaltered performance.
READ ALSO: "BOTTLED WATER IN THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES: BOOM IN SMALL PET PACKAGING"
Lightening CSD bottles
Carbonated Soft Drinks deserve special attention since the presence of gases - and consequent pressures - put more strain on the seals of the caps than flat drinks.
But even in these cases, the most modern technology in the sector allows lightening the weight of the packaging while ensuring maximum tightness.
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