Nampak Plastics, a leading producer of plastic milk bottles, has claimed to have developed the world’s lightest ever four-pint high density polyethylene (HDPE) bottle.
The bottle, which is currently being trailed with a number of Nampak's customers, weighs just 32g. It represents about 20% material saving on the standard four-pint version found in most supermarkets, which weighs 40g, according to the company.
The new product builds upon the company's Infini bottle, which is stocked in a number of major retailers including Marks & Spencer, Morrisons and Sainsbury's. The Infini bottle had claimed a World Star prize earlier this year and the Best Dairy Packaging Innovation at the Global Dairy Congress in 2012.
Nampak Plastics managing director Eric Collins said that since its launch in 2012, Infini has been responsible for a paradigm shift in milk packaging, using considerably less material and more recycled plastic.
"However, at Nampak we're always aiming to push innovation boundaries and our environmental leadership credentials as far as possible. With this in mind, we believe that we've reached a new pinnacle with the creation of a 32g four-pint Infini bottle," Collins said.
"With HDPE lightweight savings of 20% on the industry's current bottle, it's greener and more affordable, and performs extremely well in all aspects of the dairy supply chain," he added.
According to the Nampak Plastics, if the company was to shift its entire annual output of two billion bottles to the new lighter Infini, 15,000 tons of resin would be saved each year. In addition, if the lighter Infini was to become the bottle of choice, it would lower the overall amount of resin used in UK milk packaging by 30,000 tonnes - a 25% saving.