The environmental issues that the world is facing today have played a great role in establishing the notion that humankind needs to stop using plastics to get rid of all such problems. Those campaigning in favor of the planet are still advocating that plastic must disappear in its entirety from the planet because it is doing irreparable harm to the environment.
However, the packaging industry has taken this call and realized the gravity of the issue. The industry has taken an innovative route in association with the new-age technology and to come up with newer ways to respect and protect the environment. PET plastic containers might be considered one of those innovative and technologically charged ways.
Today PET plastic containers or bottles are something that no one of us can do without. These containers are considered to be the best ways humankind can adopt to address environment-related issues. PET bottles provide the users with all functionalities and practicalities that a typical plastic bottle does. Around the world today, PET containers are the most preferred packaging material.
These containers are not only fully recyclable but also economically affordable. Made using the best materials and pet bottle mold for single stage, these bottles feature the best characteristics for recycling. Therefore, sustainability is no more a serious question but rather a great responsibility as far as consumers are concerned.
Mechanical properties of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) at a glance
- Tensile Strength – psi – D638
- Tensile Modulus of Elasticity – psi – D638
- Tensile Elongation % – D638
- Flexural Strength – psi – D790
- Flexural Modulus of Elasticity – psi D790
- Compressive Strength – psi – D695
- Hardness – D785, D2240 – M93, R125, Shore D 87
- Izod Impact – ft-lbs/in – D256.
PET plastic bottles: An Overview
PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) is currently one of the most used raw materials to manufacture containers putting into the use of molds for 50mb machine. For the first time, it was used in the year 1976 to make containers to store different types of carbonated beverages. PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) is an easily recyclable and affordable material, it is considered to be both practical and environment friendly.
Recycled PET bottles are easily recognizable because of their crystal clear transparency, unmatched flexibility, and outstanding lightness. However, they might seem to be a little bit unclear when compared to virgin PET containers. These containers are made of plastic that neither releases any smell in the food or any other items nor alters the taste.
Benefits of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) containers
PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) containers or bottles have been in use right from the 1970s as the most preferred packaging material. Be it consumer goods, beverages, or detergent, almost all types of industries are using these containers to serve their packaging purposes. Polyethylene terephthalate which makes for a leading compound in these bottles provides the bottles with a large number of benefits. These containers are not only economical to manufacture but also highly energy-saving. Their toughness, ease of use as well as production, and recyclability make them the best containers available today.
Here are some of the salient benefits of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) containers or bottles:
Rugged and safe
Just contrary to containers or bottles made of glass, PET containers are resilient and rugged and don’t have any tendency of shattering into small pieces when dropped. Thus, they make it safe for both the users and the handlers to pack in them something and use them in any way. If we look at the basic mechanism of plastics, they are polymers – long molecules created through the combination of many short ones.
Thus, they get highly resistant to chemicals due to some exclusive physical properties and the desired toughness. These properties and characteristics make plastic bottles lesser prone to leakage, bursting, breaking, or shattering. These bottles not only protect the contents packed but also provide them a remarkable safety from the external natural and manmade forces.
Availability in a wide range of shapes and colors
Plastic materials can be molded into any desired shape almost effortlessly, and as a result, a comprehensive range of bottlers can be obtained in diverse shapes and colors. This in turn improves their variety, appearance, and utility. For an instance, the manufacturers of bottles can very easily incorporate different types of integral handles, marks of measurements as well as pouring lips exactly the way they want. What’s more, plastics are available in a wide range of colors right from fully transparent to almost any desired shades.
This enables manufacturers dealing in diverse goods to create a unique identity of their brands among the masses just through the bottles they pack their products in. PET plastic containers call for no paint at all as the coloring agents are mixed within the resin to get never washed off.
Energy savings
PET plastic containers are extremely light in weight than their counterparts made of any other materials including glass. Thus, the production of these bottles reduces energy consumption and the cost needed for the shipment of the end-packed products. Another reason behind the low energy consumption is that plastics are soft by nature and have a very low melting point, thus the manufacturing takes minimal energy.
A recyclable material
A large number of secondary products can be manufactured after the PET bottles are once used. The materials that can be recycled into any desired shape might include items such as pillow stuffing, tote bags, carpet fibers, and different strapping materials. Some food and nonfood plastic containers are produced even using recycled plastic. The extremely low weight of used plastic containers also minimizes the cost of transportation to the recycling plants.
Conclusion
The bottles or containers made of PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) have become a part and parcel of human life in every part of the planet. After the advent of PET, the issues related to their harm to the environment have also been addressed. The manufacturers of these containers are still striving hard to ideate, innovate, and create better and improved solutions so that they can ensure maximum environmental protection and safety of the end-users.
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