Plastic bottle
PET bottles are containers made from polyethylene terephthalate, which are produced by a thermal process of a PET preform and are rarely used since the late 1980s, among other things as packaging with screw cap with strap closure in the beverage industry. In countries with a well plastic bottles considered returnable deposit system like Germany there is next to disposable and returnable PET bottles, which are much thicker walls and more stable than disposable bottles and need to be replaced after about 20-25 runs back.
- 5.1 Germany
- 5.2 Austria
- 5.3 Switzerland
- 6.1 Germany
- 6.2 Austria
- 6.3 Switzerland
History
The development of PET bottle goes back to the late 1960s. The researcher Nathaniel Wyeth at DuPont, Wilmington Delaware, USA, developed on the well-known since the 1930s, PET and enables its use as a malleable material. Besides began machinery manufacturers, such as the American manufacturer Cincinnati Milacron and German manufacturers Bekum machine factories, Berlin, and Heidenreich & Harbeck (later Gildemeister AG) in Hamburg with the design of high-performance machines for the production of plastic bottles.
With the introduction of a 2 -liter bottle in 1978 in the United States by Coca -Cola PET bottles began her career worldwide. This PET bottle was equipped with a bottom tray made of other plastic material, so that the stability of the bottle was secured at an internal pressure of 5 bar, despite the then unstructured bottom shape. PET bottles were first introduced in Germany about 1987 by the Coca -Cola GmbH in the form of a 1.5 - liter disposable bottle as a so-called one five. 1990 was followed by the loud self-promotion " unbreakable " 1.5-liter refillable PET bottle, also with a 1.5 liter capacity.
Early 1990s was the technology to make one-piece bottles that consist only of PET, mature and available on the market. This fact and the abbreviated requirements for the durability of beverages had the distribution of the PET bottle in the markets result. Have been technical developments in the production of PET bottle both quality improvements implemented (eg coating procedures, production processes to manufacture light as possible bottles or hot filling of juice products), and a higher productivity in manufacturing, a more economical use of the raw material PET and enables energy savings during production. In addition, the weight of comparable PET bottles could be significantly reduced in part depending on the volume and use ( disposable, reusable bottle, hot filling ). Thus, the weight of disposable PET bottles decreased from initially 50 to 80 g on the today's current weight of about 12 g to 35 g The refillable PET bottles used since the early 90s are heavier for reasons of stability. A card inserted in Germany 1.5-liter Coca -Cola bottle returnable weighs nowadays for example, about 112 g
The proportion of PET bottle in the packaging mix in 2010 was 34 % worldwide. In Germany, PET bottles are available in sizes from 0.3 to 5.0 liters as disposable and reusable bottles in circulation and have for bottling carbonated soft drinks now a significantly higher proliferation than the traditional glass bottle ( especially the standard fountain bottle). Meanwhile, other beverages such as juices, nectars and to a lesser extent beer are bottled in PET bottles.
Production
Basis for the production of PET bottles, the thermoformability of the base material of polyethylene terephthalate. The PET bottle is produced in two process steps:
- Making PET preforms (preforms ) in the injection molding process
- The production of the PET bottle from the PET preforms in the stretch blow
These two manufacturing steps can be directly processed in the plastic operation in the one-step process ( injection blow molding - Injection Stretch Blow Moulding) are realized, so that the finished PET bottles are then delivered to the beverage company. This procedure is also described with " method first heat ."
By far the most frequent case is the two-stage process with a separation of the injection molding stretch blow by ( method of second heat). The blanks are produced at a plastics company and delivered to the beverage operations, where the PET bottles are produced in a separate stretch. The advantage of this procedure is that the different process times for the production of blanks and for the production of PET bottles do not need to be coordinated. In addition, a greater flexibility in the choice of blank types and weights is given. The lower transport costs for PET blanks between the plastics processors and beverage operation speak for the two-stage process.
In most countries, except Japan antimony trioxide is used as a catalyst in PET production, which can be detected in small traces in bottled beverages. Recommendations given in the drinking water regulations in different countries limits of antimony are but significantly higher than the antimony content of tested beverages.
Since PET bottles are heat sensitive and therefore can not be sanitized with thermal sterilization method, this requires a chemical sterilization, such as the DS process.
Benefits
PET bottles to the consumer convenient to use because they have a low weight and which are not susceptible to breakage. From the light weight also results in a lower transport energy consumption.
PET bottles contain unlike many beverage bottles made of other plastics not injurious to health bisphenol A. In spite of the term " polyethylene terephthalate " (PET ) PET bottles contain no plasticizers in the form of phthalates, which can act as xenohormones.
PET bottles can be used for SODIS, a simple but effective method to disinfect water. SODIS stands for Solar Water Disinfection and is based on the germicidal effect of UV -A radiation in sunlight. The WHO recommends SODIS as an effective method for treating water at the household level. SODIS is applied in many developing countries in an increasing number of households.
Disadvantages
Cold sterilization
In order to bottle PET bottles sterilized the liquid to be not, as in glass bottles common to be hot filled. Here use is made of the so-called cold sterilization by means of dimethyl dicarbonate ( DMDC ). The health disadvantage of this is that the highly toxic DMDC is indeed degraded during the Entkeimungsvorgangs but remain small amounts of the reaction product O -methyl- carbamate. This connection is toxicologically well studied and it has been shown that it causes cancer in rats and can be found on the list of cancer-causing substances in the State of California.
This substance was detected in wines that were disinfected with dimethyl dicarbonate ( DMDC ).
Gas leak
PET is not gas-tight, in contrast to glass. As carbon dioxide diffuses out of the PET bottle, some drinks can already after a few weeks of becoming stale and inedible; ingress of oxygen leads to changes in taste and possibly premature decomposition. Because the problem with increasing vessel size decreases (→ A / V ratio ), the thin-walled disposable bottles are usually available especially carbonated beverages only in Füllgrößen about one liter. Have mineral water and carbonated soft drinks in PET bottles a significantly shorter shelf life duration (about 40-50 % ) than those in glass bottles or beverage cans.
Acetaldehyde
Since the PET plastic lower amounts of wine smelling deleterious acetaldehyde ( ethanal ) gives in the liquid, only sweet, the aftertaste concealing drinks were bottled in PET bottles initially. The PET bottle manufacturers claim to have received this odor problem is now under control. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment ( BfR) keeps the concentration of acetaldehyde in PET bottles for safe, because it is below the legal limit. Nevertheless, this substance, which can lead to the development of liver cirrhosis, for example, detected in PET bottles.
Prior to the classification of these phenomena by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment ( BfR) methods have been developed with a SiO2 layer to coat the PET bottles inside with a thickness in the nanometer range. However, these are not being implemented by the industry for cost reasons.
Endocrine disrupting chemicals
Contains (see phthalates ) Although PET Bisphenol A or Orthophtalate, significant estrogen-like effects of PET were found in two scientific articles published in 2009 and 2011 respectively. Subject of this article are studies in which the hormone effect was investigated and compared to that of water to human cells, which had previously been kept either in glass or PET bottles. In an unmarked particular opinion on the older of the two studies by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR ) necessary consequences are negative.
Recycling
Disposable PET bottles are collected and partly recycled and partly " thermally re-used ", ie used in waste incineration plants or cogeneration plants as Feuerungsmittel.
In treatment plants PETs are chopped into small " flakes ", cleaned of contaminants, sorted by colors and processed into granules. A portion of this material may be added to the new material and can be used in an injection molding process for producing bottles for beverages new preforms ( preforms or ). The production of new bottles purely from recycled material is not possible.
Post-consumer PET can also be used for the manufacture of polyester textile fibers. World market leader in this field is China. In 2006 alone, nearly 4 million tonnes of PET waste was exported to China, which is about 100 billion plastic bottles .. Turkey also imported old PET in order to produce textile fibers.
Germany
Due to the mandatory deposit in Germany, much of the PET bottle is supplied via the empties collection points for recycling. To reach about 30% of PET bottles in a " pure-grade material cycle ".
Austria
In Austria in 1996 approximately 7,000 tonnes of PET were used, 2002, the market volume was around 26,800 t. In 2003, she reached the record level of around 33,700 t. In 2004, she was again at approx. 33,800 t, the following year, 2005, she rose, taking into account the so-called two-way systems to approx. 36,400 t. 2006 reached the market quantity approx. 39,000 t and in 2007 is finally 40,500 t. PET to PET Recycling Austria GmbH - a company of company groups Coca- Cola Hellenic Austria, Radlberger drinks, smoke juice, Spitz and Vöslauer - operates the nation's only facility for PET recycling. In the complex in Burgenland garbage village around 43 964 tonnes of PET material were processed into raw material for new PET bottles and other food packaging since its commissioning in August 2007. After the recycling of PET to PET, the treated material is available to all companies in the beverage industry, meet the requirements of the sustainability agenda, are available. The amounts are based on the percentage of their " matriculation " (according to ARA Statistics), that is, the more a company brings bottles per trade in circulation, the greater the amounts of recycled material are the drinks manufacturer.
Switzerland
Return rates
Germany
The outstanding amount of PET bottles in Germany was estimated in 2003 to about 800 million units in the units of size 1.5 liter, 1 liter and 0.5 liter. With the introduction of mandatory deposit on one-way beverage containers defined on 1 January 2003, there was a sudden increase in the circulating levels. Before this date, recycled the " dual system " around 99 % of the collected PET bottles, which corresponded to a level of about half of the total bottles produced. Since early 2003, about 70 % of the German PET bottles are withdrawn directly from the discounters. About the current outstanding amounts, there are no reliable data.
Austria
In Austria, light packaging and PET bottles on the ARA - the waste material recycling Austria - collected, sorted and recycled. About the nationwide, licensed system households and businesses are supplied ( collection, sorting and recycling of packaging waste ).
Switzerland
In Switzerland, the " delivery and redemption of beverage containers for domestic use " in the provisions adopted by the Federal Ordinance on Beverage Containers ( VGV ) of 5 July 2000 is regulated. Thus, retailers, manufacturers and importers, which deliver the drinks in disposable packaging made of PET must redeem these disposable packaging in all outlets. The recycling rate is expected to amount at least 75 %. If this is not achieved, the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications may introduce a deposit on PET beverage containers.
For the widespread separate collection of one-way PET bottles, the club PRS PET Recycling Switzerland is responsible. This operates a nationwide network of collection points by collecting a total of about 42,000 to more than 26,000 locations, of which there are 6,000 locations directly through the sales offices and 20,000 in voluntary collection from the working and leisure area.
2010, the response rate was applied at a rate of over one billion PET bottles or from 45,650 tonnes at 80 %.
Effects on the environment
Since PET bottles are often used for bottling of drinking water and soft drinks (in Japan 63% of all beverage bottles ) and the global demand for this is very high due to drinking water contamination, make such bottles from a large percentage of household waste. Stay in Austria - according to a publication from the year 2011 - an average of 26 percent of the PET bottles in the trash, in big cities even more, in Europe, only 48.4 percent of the PET bottles are collected. Uncompressed plastic bottles in the trash increase the volume of the garbage, which has accelerated landfill ( in countries where residual waste is still landfilled ) are filled faster. Especially in developing countries, the waste disposal is often via rivers and all materials with a lower density than fresh water or sea water, including PET bottles include swimming as floating debris and plastic waste in the oceans or deface as garbage flotsam the coasts and beaches.
In addition, textile fibers are made from recycled PET bottles suspected due to friction during washing to plastic waste problem in contributing microparticles area. According to a study, published in the journal Environmental Science & Technology rubbing washing machines more than 1,900 micro- particles - smaller in diameter than a millimeter - from per wash of fleece fabrics made of polyester and acrylic textile fibers. You are not retained in sewage treatment plants. Get these microparticles via sewage into the sea, so they form a part of the plastic waste in the oceans. Such particles have been found worldwide in sediments of 18 beaches, not a single sample was free of it.