PET jar can be filled at higher temperatures and is 85% lighter than glass

A packaging company and a machinery provider have joined forces to develop a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) jar that can be hot-filled at 95 degrees and is 85% lighter than glass containers.

The PET packaging can cope up to 10 degrees higher in the filling process and offers glass packagers the option of switching to plastic, with the benefit of an 85% weight reduction, said the developers.

APPE (formerly Artenius PET Packaging Europe) and Nissei ASB (Europe) will produce the pasteurisable wide mouth plastic jar which has a double blow wide neck system.

Nissei ASB will work exclusively with APPE to develop the container, with a launch expected in Europe and Turkey later this year.

Temperature increase

Kinza Sutton, marketing manager at APPE, said that a special manufacturing process is used to extend the temperature of the bottle.

“Previously, PET has only been able to cope with filling temperatures of up to 85 degrees, without any further post-filling pasteurisation. Therefore this is a huge step forward in terms of both the technology and the markets [and] applications it opens up to APPE.”

The jar could be used for pickled vegetables, jams, home cooking sauces, tomato based products and other foods that require hot filling and pasteurisation, claim the developers.

Talking about how the jar is different than current marketplace products, Sutton said: “It is the ability to fill it at higher temperatures and the ability to pasteurise the filled jar that makes it different.

“This is a great technological leap for PET and opens up new markets and applications for PET products, which previously were closed.

“It means that PET is now a viable alternative as a packaging material to others such as glass.”

The companies said there has been an “extremely high level of interest in the system” and jars are currently available for evaluation and sampling.

Market options

Sutton added: “Fillers and food processors will now be able to use PET jars in some applications, where materials like glass or polypropylene were the only options previously.

“PET has benefits over glass in terms of weight - jars are up to 85% lighter - and this offers a substantial reduction in transport/logistic costs as well as carbon footprint reduction.

“Additionally, PET offers much greater safety benefits over glass, as breakage in the filling lines, transport and retail areas [are] eliminated,” she said.

“In comparison to other plastic materials used in the market place, PET offers the benefits of clarity and ability to light-weight, which makes the product more attractive, and cheaper to manufacture.

“Finally, standard metal closures/caps can be used with the new PET jar, without any sealing or resealing issues.”

Source: APPE