PETpla.net Insider 05 / 2017

MATERIALS / RECYCLING PET planet Insider Vol. 18 No. 05/17 www.petpla.net 20 Pharma What started in the early ‘90s for a few pharma products, PET is today used for all major cough syrups, anti-acids, vitamins etc. PET use is catching up for packaging of more and more pharma products, making it easy to be handled by all age groups. Edible oil PET has clearly established itself in 0.1l to 5l packages in India. There is a growing interest now in 2l PET packages with handles and 5l opaque PET. The 2l PET bottle with pinch grip has also been launched by RR Omerbhoy among others and is widely used with CTC neck throughout India. In view of its price-competitiveness, there is growing awareness for pos- sible use of PET in 15l packages and it will be soon launched by one of the edible oil majors in India. The 15l package has been designed for improved physicals with respect to requirements of top load for stacking and good supply chain man- agement (SCM). In order to improve shelf life and mechanical strength, liquid nitrogen can be introduced in headspace just after filling. It was launched for edible oil by one of the edible oil majors in India. It enhances product appeal, market reach and makes shifting to lighter PET packs a reality. A stack- able 15l PET container have been developed to reduce logistics cost. Country liquor in PET has been another unique India-centric application supported by the RIL team. Today the majority of states are using PET bottles from 90ml to 750ml pack sizes, resulting in overall savings to brand-owners. The shatter-proof economical option of PET packaging is the buzz word today in liquor segment. There is an opportunity to save on SCM cost by shrink-sleeved filled PET bottles. Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) PET bottles are extensively used for Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL) and the growing trend is to further shift to PET for more liquor variants. The use of PET bottles in liquor has seen emergence of niche shapes and effects. A 1l frosted PET bottle is used for vodka packaging and a 2l PET bottle with externally fitted handle for whisky, both by UB group. It has led to enhanced product appeal and increased sales for the said liquor variants in PET packs. Beer SAB Miller in India is using 1l barrier PET bottles for some of their brands with a shelf life of two months. They are filled on a Sidel’s combi line (blowing and filling). Wine Sula Vine yards and UB among others are using PET in pack ranges of 187ml and 375ml. There is a growing interest for light-weight and cost-competitive packaging and thus there is potential interest in PET. The stackable PET wine bottles and APET glasses as used abroad will see a similar trend soon in India. Lube oil It was launched in 2007 in trans- parent PET, to made product visible and to reduce packaging cost. PET bottles made by ISBM process are leak-proof. The ‘Lal Ghoda’ brand in PET developed for HPCL uses 0.5l and 1l packs. It has potential to snow- ball with another oil major soon, who will start using PET for one of their lubricants. It is an interesting develop- ment with potential for the neighbour- ing countries, too. PET cans Today cans are used both for solid and liquid packaging due to the visibility of contents and lower cost when compared with metal. Dry fruits, spices, CSD and auto parts are already available in PET cans in India and slowly juices and other major seg- ments are going to be packed in PET cans. The Indian government has allowed bulk export of selected edible oils. (photo by: www.business-standard.com)