KHS has developed a PET solution that it says offers better barrier properties than composite materials and is fully recyclable from bottle to bottle.
The KHS FreshSafe PET technology uses a wafer-thin layer of glass on the inside wall of the PET container to protect products such as juice, wine, sauce and liquid food from oxidation, and carbonated beverages from CO2 loss.
This layer is washed off during the recycling process, producing pure PET. According to Jon Elward, head of plastic packaging at KHS USA, this technology is a step towards satisfying consumer demands for greener packaging solutions.
“Plastics are being subjected to increasingly critical questioning. People want more sustainable solutions from the industry. The demand for clean recycling systems in particular is steadily gaining in significance,” he said.
The system also has cost benefits, says Elward, who says users can switch to cheaper standard PET preforms instead of having to source them from a specific manufacturer.
“Measured against the huge benefit of additional product protection and longer product shelf lives in particular, the costs per bottle are actually lower than when conventional composite materials are used,” he said.
