Articles
THE IMPORTANCE OF PET BOTTLES IN THE SOCIETY
by Ricky Martin Marketing ConsultantNo matter how much we try, we cannot undermine the role of plastic in our lives.
PET or PETE or Polyethylene terephthalate which we commonly use in our day to day life is a strong, stiff synthetic fiber that hails from the family of polymers made with ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. Almost every plastic water bottle on the planet Earth is made of PET. Plastics can be found everywhere- from the containers in the kitchens to the table in our bedroom.
WHY MOST PEOPLE PREFER PET?
But what are the properties that make it such a great packaging material, especially for food? In addition to being lightweight, PET containers biologically don’t react with food. Apart from this, PET is a strong, non-reactive, economical, and shatterproof product, probably here to save the day. PET's safety for food, beverage, and personal care, pharmaceutical and medical applications are recognized by health authorities around
One of the biggest reasons why PET is preferred by many manufacturers is that it is 100% recyclable and highly sustainable. It can be recovered and recycled again and again – back into containers for personal care products – or into carpet and clothing fibers, automotive parts, construction materials, industrial strapping or other packaging materials.
PET bottles vs Glass bottles
Is glass a better alternative for food and beverage packaging than PET? The short answer is no! But when we put plastic against the glass, the favorable tips are more towards plastic. It has become more widely used for food and beverage products over the past few decades; it has provided some benefits that glass could not. While glass bottles may be viewed as more sustainable than plastic, mainly because it can be reused, in the long run, it may not be as sustainable as PET. Yes, glass bottles can be easily cleaned and sterilized in boiling water, but the same goes for PET bottles - we can re-use them n-number of times just by washing them with warm water.
What makes glass containers unsafe to store food, in the long run, is the growth of biofilms. Biofilms are a relatively indefinable microbial community. This means they are basically a collective of one or more types of microorganisms that can grow on many different surfaces. Microorganisms that form biofilms include bacteria, fungi and protists. Biofilms producing bacteria is a serious threat for public health globally but due to poor sanitary conditions and low economic resources chances of infections is high in developing countries. Effective control measures should be developed for the treatment and prevention of biofilm to get rid of serious problems. Another area where glass bottles fall short is the durability factor - PET bottles are way more durable whereas glass bottles can easily break. Glass is 20 times heavier and 5 times costlier than a pet bottle.
PET or PETE or Polyethylene terephthalate which we commonly use in our day to day life is a strong, stiff synthetic fiber that hails from the family of polymers made with ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. Almost every plastic water bottle on the planet Earth is made of PET. Plastics can be found everywhere- from the containers in the kitchens to the table in our bedroom.
WHY MOST PEOPLE PREFER PET?
But what are the properties that make it such a great packaging material, especially for food? In addition to being lightweight, PET containers biologically don’t react with food. Apart from this, PET is a strong, non-reactive, economical, and shatterproof product, probably here to save the day. PET's safety for food, beverage, and personal care, pharmaceutical and medical applications are recognized by health authorities around
One of the biggest reasons why PET is preferred by many manufacturers is that it is 100% recyclable and highly sustainable. It can be recovered and recycled again and again – back into containers for personal care products – or into carpet and clothing fibers, automotive parts, construction materials, industrial strapping or other packaging materials.
PET bottles vs Glass bottles
Is glass a better alternative for food and beverage packaging than PET? The short answer is no! But when we put plastic against the glass, the favorable tips are more towards plastic. It has become more widely used for food and beverage products over the past few decades; it has provided some benefits that glass could not. While glass bottles may be viewed as more sustainable than plastic, mainly because it can be reused, in the long run, it may not be as sustainable as PET. Yes, glass bottles can be easily cleaned and sterilized in boiling water, but the same goes for PET bottles - we can re-use them n-number of times just by washing them with warm water.
What makes glass containers unsafe to store food, in the long run, is the growth of biofilms. Biofilms are a relatively indefinable microbial community. This means they are basically a collective of one or more types of microorganisms that can grow on many different surfaces. Microorganisms that form biofilms include bacteria, fungi and protists. Biofilms producing bacteria is a serious threat for public health globally but due to poor sanitary conditions and low economic resources chances of infections is high in developing countries. Effective control measures should be developed for the treatment and prevention of biofilm to get rid of serious problems. Another area where glass bottles fall short is the durability factor - PET bottles are way more durable whereas glass bottles can easily break. Glass is 20 times heavier and 5 times costlier than a pet bottle.
Moreover, when we talk about the manufacturing process between glass and PET - the manufacturing by the PET bottles supplier is far less intense on the environment than glass. Glass manufacturing industry emits CO2 creating air pollution.
So, what’s the problem?
The problem with PET is our attitude. Specifically, the way we dispose of it and lack of complete knowledge among the consumers. With small changes in our lifestyle, we can reuse 100% of PET containers. As of now, we undermine the reusability factor of PET bottles and throw them into dustbins which end up in landfills or, worse, the ocean. Given the longevity of such products, they dawdle in the atmosphere for many centuries and can potentially disrupt ecosystems and infiltrate food chains. However, if we find ways to recycle PET bottles, like this, then such problems will evaporate instantly.
When compared to its competition - PET surely comes off as better than its alternative. It leaves less carbon footprint during its manufacturing, is easy to carry, is extremely affordable and when you are conscious enough to recycle, it can beat its contemporaries with its versatility.
So, what’s the problem?
The problem with PET is our attitude. Specifically, the way we dispose of it and lack of complete knowledge among the consumers. With small changes in our lifestyle, we can reuse 100% of PET containers. As of now, we undermine the reusability factor of PET bottles and throw them into dustbins which end up in landfills or, worse, the ocean. Given the longevity of such products, they dawdle in the atmosphere for many centuries and can potentially disrupt ecosystems and infiltrate food chains. However, if we find ways to recycle PET bottles, like this, then such problems will evaporate instantly.
When compared to its competition - PET surely comes off as better than its alternative. It leaves less carbon footprint during its manufacturing, is easy to carry, is extremely affordable and when you are conscious enough to recycle, it can beat its contemporaries with its versatility.
AUTHOR’S BIO:
The article has been written by Komal Doley. She is working as a Social Media Executive and writes for Olive Global which is a Digital Agency based in Delhi. She loves to share her knowledge and experience regarding PET bottles through blogs and articles.
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About Ricky Martin 
Marketing Consultant
1 connections, 0 recommendations, 33 honor points.Joined APSense since, August 25th, 2016, From Delhi, India.
Created on Dec 1st 2020 01:13. Viewed 243 times.
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