BottleOne’s PET Bottles Critiqued by Plastics Expert, Chris DeArmitt, PhD, FRSC

If you are a regular reader of our blog, you know we are passionate about our BottleOne PET bottles. BottleOne is an affordable large capacity, standard grade PET bottle with an integrated PET handle. Our unique handle is integrated and molded into the preform (it is not attached to an already-blown bottle).

BottleOne’s PET bottles are manufactured utilizing a reheat stretch blow molding process on industry standard blow molding equipment modified for the technology. No ancillary equipment is required to apply or attach the handle. The handle itself has a unique 2-point attachment, which provides for extra strength and durability.

In October of last year, we published a blog post titled 8 Reasons PET Plastic Packaging is Superior to HDPE.

Shortly thereafter, we were happy to see that Chris DeArmitt, PhD, FRSC, and the author of The Plastics Paradox: Facts for a Brighter Future, reached out to continue the discussion.

The result was a deep dive into PET bottles as they relate to polyethylene and HDPE plastic bottles. With his permission, we’d like to share the insight from that discussion for your review.

Bill Duelge, BottleOne: Chris, before we begin, we would like to congratulate you on your book, The Plastics Paradox. It is simply brilliant, and a must read for every serious environmental advocate and plastics professional. Now let’s move on to your questions.

Chris DeArmitt, PhD, FRSC: Your statement that PET bottles can be hermetically sealed (no more leaks) puzzles me since sealed containers are manufactured fine from polyethylene and HDPE. Can you clarify?

Bill Duelge, BottleOne: While it is possible to make HDPE containers with seal integrity, the most common and ubiquitous HDPE container, the milk jug, is notoriously leak prone. This is due to the poor seal between the closure and the bottle.

This leakage creates a long list of safety issues. It also creates a lot of waste and cleanup throughout the distribution chain. BottleOne’s PET bottles seal hermetically with a PET closure.

In other words, when you produce a bottle from an injection molded preform, the result is a much higher quality seal.

Chris DeArmitt, PhD, FRSC: You said that unlike HDPE, PET plastic is 100% recyclable and highly sustainable. But both plastics are easily recycled.

Bill Duelge, BottleOne: Yes, but there is a world of difference between recyclable and recycled. Technically, both plastics are easily recycled. However, HDPE does not currently enjoy the benefits of a circular economy. PET does.

HDPE is typically downcycled, incinerated, or buried. PET is typically made into new PET bottles, some using up to 100% post-consumer resin. After multiple recycling loops, any degradation of PET can be reversed through upcycling back to raw material and returned as food grade PET.

Usually LCAs only measure the primary package, and in that case, PET and HDPE have similar results. However, if you consider the full supply chain life cycle impact of BottleOne’s PET bottles, you’ll find that they come out much farther ahead of HDPE.

BottleOne’s PET bottles are strong enough to be a caseless solution, eliminating 60 – 90% of transport packaging. This allows pallets to be shipped and warehoused more than twice as high as HDPE milk jugs without the added boxes, crates or other HDPE packaging applications.

You can read more about this at BottleOne PET Bottles vs. HDPE Milk Jugs: Cost Comparison. Manufacturers using BottleOne are able to claim significant warehouse space gains through double stacking of pallets that are unstackable in HDPE.

Additionally, BottleOne users are using caseless pallets to improve material handling and shipping efficiencies, creating measurable benefits in supply chain costs and lowering emissions by maxing out truck space and routing.

The reduction in carbon footprint as a result of transport costs alone is significant. There are also other sustainability benefits that come from using BottleOne’s PET bottles.

By converting one million corrugated boxes to tray pack, you will save:

In the United States, and a lot of other countries, there is a drive towards a more sustainable future in packaging. We are happy to be part of that transition, especially for forward-thinking companies interested in optimizing resources and minimizing waste streams around the world.

Chris DeArmitt, PhD, FRSC: Your point that PET is safer is supported by scientific studies. And of course, it is a much better barrier material than HDPE, so it keeps products fresh longer. But HDPE is also shatter resistant.

Bill Duelge, BottleOne: The practical illustration of shatter resistance is the drop test. We have done informal bottle drop tests showing the improved strength of BottleOne’s PET bottles vs. gallon milk jugs. We’ve found that PET is many times more durable than traditional HDPE.

HDPE gallon jugs have a bottom seam that is extremely sensitive to bottom drops, especially when it is cold. It frequently shatters with a 2-foot drop, and even when it survives the drop, it leaks from the cap.

BottleOne can withstand multiple drops from 4+ feet. In addition, we’ve had a third party evaluate our various bottles for top load strength. These studies have shown that our PET bottles are far less likely to break or leak when compared to conventional HDPE or ePET.

Chris DeArmitt, PhD, FRSC: What great answers!

A BottleOne PET bottle is much bigger than just a bottle because it has the triple bottom line (people, planet, profit).

1. We can help you lower costs.
2. We can help you raise productivity.
3. We can even provide a better closed-loop, circular recycling option.

One of the most important contributions you can make to responsible manufacturing is to get your package into PET, where it can enter the circular economy and benefit all of us. We are here to help you transform your operation and change everything.

It’s a very exciting time for us. BottleOne’s new-to-the-world technology might impress you too!