Top materials for producing high-quality plastic boxes
Plastic can produce high-quality boxes
The application of plastic materials in the goods transportation, import and export industries or even the food industry is a significant step forward in the development of human production activities. The process of producing high-quality plastic containers requires us to clearly understand the properties of plastic materials, the properties of the product being targeted and some notes on production methods. Right in this article, please join us in updating essential information about high-quality plastic boxes!
Plastic boxes in many different sizes and colors
Plastic containers or plastic packaging in general are produced with the main ingredient being plastic (various types of plastic). Plastic is a material produced from natural gas and crude oil. Through processing and advanced chemical methods, people transform crude oil into a variety of different types of plastic depending on their needs. This plastic material will be designed and shaped through a number of technical methods to create products for consumers, including plastic boxes. According to the development of today's life, plastic products in general and plastic containers in particular have become an indispensable part.
We can easily see plastic boxes in many different shapes and colors everywhere. Industries with very high demand for the production of plastic containers or plastic packaging include the food and beverage industry, cosmetics, medical products, agricultural packaging, household consumer goods, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. , etc. The main demand is to produce food and drink packaging, food trays (cans, water bottles, soft drinks, cake boxes, etc.), product protective packaging, medicine bottles, pesticide bottles and many other chemical containers (shampoo, detergent).
HDPE is the safest plastics because of its antibacterial properties
HDPE is also known by its full name High-density Polyethylene. In terms of structure, HDPE is created from the process of collecting ethane from the heating of ethylene gas. Once obtained, this gas compound is mixed with benzene and exposed directly to UV radiation. HDPE has a high strength-to-density ratio, so it is famous for its excellent durability. This is a thermoplastic with a melting index of up to 160°F. In terms of properties, HDPE possesses excellent properties such as super durability, hardness, impact resistance, antibacterial and good chemical resistance. Bottles made from HDPE can resist organic solvents such as salts, bases, acids and some other corrosive chemicals. Besides, HDPE is also known as one of the safest plastics because of its antibacterial properties that are safe for human health, and its ability to be recycled is extremely environmentally friendly. Products made from HDPE plastic include big plastic containers, shampoo bottles, cosmetic bottles, pesticide bottles, detergent bottles, and a variety of food packaging bottles
Read more: HDPE (High density polyethylene) - What is it? Properties & common uses
LDPE containers are flexible and squeezable
If HDPE plastic is an optimal choice for rigid containers, LDPE is a great choice for containers with a flexible design. Regarding structure, the polymer chains of LDPE are linked by weak molecules so the hardness will be lower than that of HDPE. Because of this characteristic, LDPE plastic is very suitable for producing bottles or packaging that are flexible and squeezable. The variety of manufacturing applications is similar to HDPE including the food, agriculture, pharmaceutical and healthcare industries, etc.
Read more: What is LDPE (Low density polyethylene)? Properties & applications
PET is very safe for human health
PET plastic's full name is polyethylene terephthalate. This is a line of transparent thermoplastics that is very commonly used in product packaging design in a variety of industries. Regarding structure, to obtain PET plastic, ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid will be combined together to form polymer chains that are then cut into small plastic particles. In terms of properties, PET is a plastic line that has been recognized by the FDA as very safe for human health thanks to not containing phthalate and BPA. In terms of mechanics, PET possesses extremely impressive parameters of resistance to damage, antibacterial, high durability and good flexibility. This is one of the types of plastic that can be recycled but requires thorough cleaning before reuse. Typical products made from PET include packaging in direct contact with food and drinking water, food storage containers, chemical bottles and product protective films.
Read more: What is Polyethylene terephthalate (PET)?
PP plastic for food storage box applications
PP plastic is known by its full name Polypropylene (C3H6). In terms of structure, PE is a non-polar polymer with a bond density of about 0.855 grams per cubic centimeter. The melting point of PP plastic ranges from 130 degrees Celsius to 171 degrees Celsius. During the production process, PP plastic has the ability to combine excellent colors thanks to its transparent, colorless, and odorless properties. In terms of properties, PP plastic has good elasticity, electrical insulation, high temperature resistance and deformation resistance. Besides, PP is also a type of plastic that is not harmful to human health, so it is used in the production of food packaging, food containers, water bottles, 20 liter water bottles, etc. Thanks to its transparency, consumers love PP plastic for food storage box applications.
Read more: PP Plastic: Everything you need to know
PVC plastic containers
PVC plastic's full name is Polyvinyl Chloride (CH2=CHCl or C2H3Cl). For PVC, this substance can be combined with plastic stabilizers, impact modifiers or some plasticizers to produce products. In terms of properties, PVC plastic has ideal heat resistance with a melting point that can reach 260 degrees Celsius. This is one of the materials that attracts many investors thanks to its relatively reasonable price and high durability. and good electrical insulation. In the field of plastic containers and product packaging, PVC is used to produce large drums, shipping containers, and a variety of containers in chemical production and containers in water supply systems.
Read more: What is PVC Plastic? All Information About PVC Plastic
PS plastic in applications food and beverage packaging
PS plastic is known as Polystyrene ((C8H8)n). This is one of the materials produced with high frequency in food container applications. The melting point of PS is quite high, up to 240 degrees Celsius. In terms of properties, PS plastic can be made in many forms such as hard, flexible, and porous but is easily oxidized. PS plastic has good waterproofing properties so it is used for containers that have direct contact with water. This type of plastic is not recommended for recycling, so PS plays a key role in the production of single-use plastic packaging and boxes. We can easily encounter PS plastic in applications such as takeout food boxes, disposable plastic cups, food and beverage packaging.
Read more: Everything you need to know about polystyrene
This plastic is known for its good water resistance
PC plastic is also known as Polycarbonate. This plastic line is known for its durability, good water resistance, high temperature resistance and outstanding fire resistance. Applications of PC plastic in the packaging industry include food boxes and beverage bottles
ABS in the production of battery boxes
ABS plastic is known as Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene. This is also one of the materials that can be considered in the production of plastic boxes. ABS stands out with its toughness, good hardness and resistance to acids and alkalis. Unlike the plastic lines mentioned above, ABS is one of the top choices in the production of battery boxes.
Read more: Comparing ABS vs PE Plastics | Which is Better for Processing?
Plastic folding box
We can easily encounter plastic folding boxes in the process of transporting goods. This is one of the most popular plastic containers specifically used for transporting food such as eggs, vegetables, fish, fruit, etc. The design of the plastic folding box provides flexibility, elasticity, breathability, and good impact resistance, thereby helping to protect food from damage during transportation. Besides, thanks to its lightweight, plastic folding boxes help save significantly on fuel compared to the consumption of transportation machinery and equipment.
Plastic storage box
Plastic boxes are designed to preserve personal tools, store food in the refrigerator or store other foods or objects. The advantage of this type of production is to provide consumers with containers with a variety of colors, shapes and sizes.
Plastic container for transportation
Containers made of plastic often prefer hard plastic materials such as HDPE or PVC. The requirement for these plastic materials is to maintain the durability of the container even when exposed to chemicals or acids. In industries such as chemical transportation, wastewater treatment, medical waste treatment, water storage tanks, etc.
Plastic bottles
Plastic materials such as PS, PP, PET, etc. can be used to make plastic cans or plastic bottles. Plastic bottles can be easily found such as 20 liter water barrels, soft drink cans, mineral water bottles, and some plastic bottles containing cosmetics.
Plastic boxes can be recycled
Plastic boxes are becoming more and more popular and gradually replacing materials such as wooden boxes or metal boxes. With increasing consumer demand, optimizing material and production costs is one of the top priorities. Plastic materials meet a moderate price, the production process is not too complicated and does not require a team of experts.
Plastic plays a key role in the packaging and packaging industry because of its rapid and diverse forming process. Plastic is a material that can be suitable for manufacturing techniques such as molding, 3D printing, injection molding, extrusion, etc. Moreover, plastic and plastic materials can produce a series of high-quality containers and packaging with many unique shapes, creative designs and diverse sizes.
Plastic is a material that can design extremely durable containers and product covers. The main reason for this characteristic is because plastic is one of the compounds with very good hardness (some types can be harder than metal). Conf durability is expressed through other characteristics such as flexibility, toughness, good impact resistance, tear resistance, good heat resistance, chemical resistance and some corrosive acids. Containers made from plastic materials will provide users with a durable product over many years.
Plastic boxes are many times lighter in weight than metal boxes or wooden, glass or ceramic boxes. Containers made of plastic are often thinner and lighter but still ensure excellent durability over weight. For container applications used to transport goods, minimizing the volume of the container will help the transportation process save significant fuel.
Environmental friendliness is one of the top requirements in the packaging industry. The number of product containers and packaging boxes is increasing, so taking advantage of recyclable plastic will help largely reduce the amount of waste released into the environment
In general, it can be said that plastic boxes are an ideal choice that both saves costs (for both manufacturers and consumers) and meets a variety of needs in life. Choosing the right material for high-quality plastic containers or plastic packaging boxes depends on the type of product the manufacturer is aiming for. Read more useful articles from EuroPlas to make the right choice for your upcoming projects!
Plastic packaging allows us to protect, preserve, store and transport products in a variety of ways.
Without plastic packaging, a great deal of products that consumers purchase would not make the journey to the home or store, or survive in good condition long enough to be consumed or used.
Contents
1 Why Use Plastics Packaging
2 Pack For All Seasons
2.1 Examples of Packaging
3 Contribution to Sustainable Development
3.1 Plastics packaging saves energy
3.2 Plastics packaging is an optimal use of resources
3.3 Plastics packaging prevents food waste
3.4 Plastics packaging: continuous improvements through innovation
4 Plastics Packaging Means Low Environmental Impacts
4.1 Oil and gas in context – carbon savings with plastics packaging
4.2 Re-usable plastics packaging
4.3 A strong recycling record
4.4 Energy from waste
5 Find a Packaging Supplier
5.1 Find a Supplier Form
5.2 BPF Packaging Group Guide
Above all, plastics are used because of the unique combination of benefits they offer;
Durability: The long polymer chains which constitute the plastics raw material make it extraordinarily difficult to break.
Safety: Plastics packaging is shatterproof and does not fragment into dangerous shards when dropped. For more information on the safety of plastic packaging, as well as its safety in contact with food, visit plastic packaging safety.
Hygiene: Plastics packaging is ideal for the packaging of foodstuffs, medicines and pharmaceuticals. It can be filled and sealed without human intervention. The materials used, both plastics raw materials and additives, fulfill all food safety legislation at national and European Union levels. Plastics products are customarily used as medical devices in intimate contact with body tissue and conform to the highest standards of safety in their life-saving uses.
Security: Plastics packaging can be produced and used with tamper-evident and child resistant closures. The transparency of the pack enables users to examine the condition of the goods prior to purchase.
Light Weight: Plastics packaging items are low in weight but high in strength. Hence products packed in plastics are easy to lift and handle by consumers and by personnel in the distribution chain.
Design Freedom: The properties of the materials combined with the array of processing technologies employed in the industry, ranging from injection and blow moulding to thermoforming, enable the production of an infinite number of pack shapes and configurations. Additionally the extensive range of colouring possibilities and the ease of printing and decoration facilitate brand identification and information for the consumer.
For more information on the reasons why plastic packaging is used
The nature of plastics technology with its wide variety of raw materials and processing techniques permits the manufacture of packaging in an infinite variety of shapes, colours and technical properties. Practically anything can be packed in plastics - liquids, powders, solids and semi-solids.
2.1 Some examples of plastics packaging:
Bottles
Bulk Containers
Pails
Pots
Returnable Transit Packaging
Trays
3.1 Plastics packaging saves energy
Because it is lightweight plastics packaging can save energy in the transport of packed goods. Less fuel is used, there are lower emissions and, additionally, there are cost savings for distributors, retailers and consumers.
A yogurt pot made from glass weighs about 85grams, while one made from plastics only weighs 5.5grams. In a lorry filled with a product packed in glass jars 36% of the load would be accounted for by the packaging. If packed in plastic pouches the packaging would amount to just 3.56%. To transport the same amount of yogurt three trucks are needed for glass pots, but only two for plastic pots .
3.2 Plastics packaging is an optimal use of resources
Because of the high strength / weight ratio of plastics packaging it is possible to pack a given volume of product with plastics rather than with traditional materials.
It has been shown that if there was no plastics packaging available to society and there was necessary recourse to other materials overall packaging consumption of packaging mass, energy and GHG emissions would increase.
Source: PlasticsEurope
(GHG – Greenhouse gas)
3.3 Plastics packaging prevents food waste
Almost 50% of the total amount of food thrown away in the UK comes from our homes. We throw away 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink from our homes every year in the UK, and more than half of this is food and drink we could have eaten. Wasting this food costs the average household £480 a year, rising to £680 for a family with children, the equivalent of around £50 a month.
The durability and sealability of plastics packaging protects goods from deterioration and increases shelf life. With modified atmosphere packaging made from plastics, shelf life can be increased from 5 to 10 days, allowing food loss in stores to be reduced from 16% to 4%.
Traditionally grapes were sold in loose bunches. Grapes are now sold in sealed trays so that the loose ones stay with the bunch. This has reduced waste in stores typically by over 20%.
3.4 Plastics packaging: continuous improvements through innovation
There is a strong record of innovation in the UK‘s plastics packaging industry.
Technical advances and design flair have reduced the quantity of plastics packaging needed to pack a given quantity of product over time without sacrificing the pack’s strength or durability. For example a 1 litre plastic detergent bottle which weighed 120gms in 1970 now just weighs 43gms, a 64% reduction.
Society’s consumption levels rose by 20% between 1999 and 2004. However the use of plastics packaging only rose by 4% .
For more information on the the environmental impact of plastic packaging
4.1 Oil and gas in context – carbon savings with plastics packaging
Plastics packaging is estimated to account for just 1.5% of oil and gas use, the BPF estimate. The chemical building blocks for plastics raw materials are derived from by- products of the refining process which originally would have had no other uses.
Whilst the vast majority of oil and gas is consumed in transport and heating , the usefulness of that used for plastics manufacture is extended by the recyclability of plastics and the potential for recovering its energy content at the end of its life in waste to energy plants.
A 2004 study in Canada showed that to replace plastic packaging with alternative materials involve the consumption of 582 million gigajoules more energy and would create 43 million tonnes of additional CO2 emissions. The energy saved each year by using plastics packaging is equivalent to 101.3 million barrels of oil or the amount of CO2 produced by 12.3 million passenger cars.
4.2 Re-usable plastics packaging
Many types of plastics packaging are long – life artifacts. Returnable crates, for example, have life spans of over 25 years or more and re-usable bags are playing a greater role in responsible retailing.
4.3 A strong recycling record
Plastics packaging is eminently recyclable and a growing range of plastics packaging incorporates recyclate. EU legislation now permits the use of plastics recyclate in new packaging intended for food stuffs.
In June 2011 the Government Advisory Committee on Packaging (ACP) announced that in 2010/11 24.1% of all plastics packaging was recycled in the UK and this achievement exceeded the target figure of 22.5% stated by the government. The UK plastics recycling industry is one of the most dynamic in the EU with some 40 companies constituting the BPF’s Recycling Group.
Recycling 1 tonne of plastic bottles saves 1.5 tonnes of carbon and one plastic bottle saves enough energy to run a 60 watt light bulb for 6 hours .
4.4 Energy from waste
Plastics packaging can be recycled six or more times before its properties are weakened. At the end of its life plastics packaging can be submitted to energy from waste schemes. Plastics have a high calorific value. A mixed basket of plastics products made from Polyethylene and Polyproplylene, for example, would, at 45 MJ/kg, have a much greater net caloric value than coal at 25 MJ/kg.
5.1 Find a Supplier (form)
Please complete the online form below. Once the form has been submitted, your enquiry will then be posted onto the BPF password protected members area so the relevant companies can contact you directly.
If you do not wish to appear in the secure members’ area, please complete the online form here.
Fill out my online form
5.2 BPF Packaging Group Guide
The BPF's Packaging Group is made up of over 80 companies supplying plastic packaging products, including blow moulding, thermoforming and film. The guide below gives details of all members of the Group.