Greif Packaging Introduces Reusable Home/Office Water Bottles Made With Eastman Tritan Copolyester

Tritan is a new generation copolyester that balances the properties of clarity, toughness, and heat and chemical resistance, and is manufactured without bisphenol A (BPA).

17 May 2010 --- Eastman Chemical Company announced that Greif Packaging, a leader in industrial packaging products and services, has introduced water bottles for the home/office delivery (HOD) market made with Eastman Tritan copolyester. Tritan is a new generation copolyester that balances the properties of clarity, toughness, and heat and chemical resistance, and is manufactured without bisphenol A (BPA).

Greif introduced the reusable HOD water bottles made with Eastman Tritan copolyester in January 2010. The bottles made with Tritan are available in 3- and 5- gallon round and handled sizes and complement the polycarbonate (PC) bottles currently in the line.

“We began evaluating resins for the production of our reusable water bottles in response to the growing number of customers requesting a BPA-free alternative to our PC bottles,” said Rick Volker, sales and marketing manager – water bottles, Greif. “Eastman Tritan copolyester meets our needs, as well as industry and Food and Drug Administration requirements for containers intended for repeated use, such as reusable water bottles. By using Tritan, we are able to offer a bottle that is BPA-free, but has the same visual characteristics, such as clarity, color and shape, that our customers expect from our product line.”

Greif was interested in Eastman Tritan copolyester as a BPA-free alternative material, but selected it for the production of the reusable water bottles because it also offered clarity, chemical resistance, and processing and design advantages. Additionally, Greif was able to shorten conversion times by using existing equipment and molds. The chemical resistance and hydrolytic stability of Tritan allows repeated high-temperature washing cycles and resistance to cleansers and detergents. Tritan also is odor- and taste- resistant to ensure pure-tasting water. “The customer response to the bottles made with Eastman Tritan copolyester has been positive,” Volker said. “Many customers are eager to trial this addition to our line of HOD water bottles.”

Since the launch of Eastman Tritan copolyester in 2007, the material has been used to develop applications in the reusable sports water bottles, housewares, infant care, small appliance, sign and medical markets, and has recently expanded into the HOD water market.