Up to
now, plastic bottles used in hot-filling had to have a substantial
amount of material in their base to stand up to the rigors of the
process. York, Pennsylvania-based Graham Packaging has spent two
years coming up with a new solution. The magic, one might say, is in
the technical details.
According to Phillip Sheets, senior project manager for Graham
Packaging, a proprietary technique called "HOB"-which stands for
Highly Oriented Base-creates increased crystallinity in the plastic
at the molecular level. This, in turn, allows extreme thinning of
the plastic, contributing to less weight.
Indeed, it is light-and it's called the "G-LiteTM", a 20-ounce PET
stock hot-fill bottle. TalkingRain Beverage Company in Preston,
Washington, will certainly tell you about light. TalkingRain is
currently switching over to the G-Lite bottle for the
vitamin-enhanced flavored waters it produces for co-branding with
one of its major customers.
MacLean said the reduction in plastic resin used in the bottle
equates to a cost reduction of nearly 5 percent, what he called a
"meaningful savings." Not to mention the 250 pounds less per
truckload in weight savings and the fact the bottle is fully
recyclable.
Graham Packaging
says the G-Lite bottle will be rolled out to other customers in
various sizes and shapes over the next several months.
For more
information, visit
www.grahampackaging.com.