PETpla.net Insider 07+08 / 2010

BOTTLE MAKING 26 PET planet insider Vol. 11 No. 07+08/10 www.petpla.net Light weighting hinges on active technology Amcor PET Packaging, which is headquartered in Mel- bourne, Australia and has its main US facility at Manchester, Michigan, USA, has launched a new and patented hot-fill PET bottle design. The company says that the technology reduces weight and cost, while offering competitive perform- ance. The new design, which Amcor describes as ‘active performance technology’, was commercialised in 2009 in eight and ten-ounce hot-fill containers. It is now going into series production in a 16oz PET container for San Francisco enterprise Purity Organic Inc, which supplies organic fruit juices and ‘functional’ drinks – water with 20% juice and added vitamins. All its products are packaged in PET bottles exclusively; it produces more than four million SKUs a year. Its new 16 oz Amcor PET bottle uses 20% less materials – the bottle weight is 29g, down from 35g – and costs 20% less than the company’s previous PET containers, accord- ing to Purity Organic. It advertises its lighter weight to consumers with a ‘20% less plastic’ sticker on the cap. The reduced weight and the choice of recyclable material for the bottle help the company to meet its sustainability commitments. Amcor’s ‘active hinge technol- ogy’ is the means by which Purity Organic and other customers are able to achieve high standards in 185F (84°C) hot-fill. The design makes use of horizontal hinges that also allow vertical movement, which adjust to the space created by the vacuum as the liquid cools. The company says that these ‘active hinges’ provide high radial stiffness and provide the 31g