What plastic type is best for my product?

We get this question all the time: what should I put my product in? A client has a product with a special list of ingredients that may or may not require a specific plastic type, and they just need to know from us, the plastic experts, the definitive answer to this question. The answer is ... we're not sure!

Oh, that's really helpful.

Keep reading though because I'll tell you why this question is so hard to answer. And I'll tie it all up with some ideas on how we can all work together on identifying some plastic types that will work well with your product.

Why we're not sure.
Essential oils are an excellent example of why we're not sure. In my article on essential oils, you'll read that essential oils in their pure form should not be stored in plastic. In fact, glass is really the only suitable package for pure essential oils. However, if those same essential oils are used as an ingredient in a lotion or cream, for instance, we've found that PET is a perfect plastic type for these kinds of products.

How we CAN help.
Over the years we've had a lot of experience with different kinds of products. We work with our customers continually on making suggestions and recommendations, but NEVER guarantees (click through for why). I know that's not really comforting. But like the essential oils example, we don't know how much you've diluted your oil, acid, solvent, adhesive, glue, etc, and therefore can't guess how it will react. What we can do is the following:

1. Recommend what plastic types other customers in your industry have used
2. Suggest a particular family of containers to test
3. Urge you to test your product with our container and/or closure
   
4. Provide you with a free sample (we offer a free sample of most of our items) to test
   

How you can help yourself.
Here are some additional ideas on how you can identify what plastic type will work best with your product:

1. Call us at 1-800-473-4144 and ask if we have any suggestions or ideas.
2. Research the different plastic types and get a general idea on which types to test.
3. Go to the grocery store or competitor and look at what they're using to package their product.
4. Get a sample from us and test it.
5. Research all applicable regulatory agencies on packaging in your industry.

What do I look for when I test my product?
When testing your product in our container or closure, here are the kinds of things that you want to look for:

1. Does the container and lid combination create a leak-proof seal? Does my product leak when turned upside down? Does it leak when I shake it?
   
2. Does my filled and sealed container panel over time? Does the shape of the container begin to distort over time? Fill your container and watch it over days, weeks, and months.
   
3. Does my product weaken the structure of the plastic? Does the container start to feel flimsy or weak?
4. Does my product taste or smell funny prior to expiration date? Do I need a fluorinated container?

You've spent a long time getting your product developed. We know. Finding the right package and getting it decorated and getting it ready for market could take you just as long. Don't get discouraged. Just remember it's all part of the process.

So, what IS the best plastic type for your product? The best answer: try it and see.

Fluorination: Your bottle can take the pressure

Paneling. If you don't gasp when you hear this word, you will when you know what it means. According to Terminology 101 at CPS University, paneling is the:

distortion of a plastic container that occurs during aging or storage, caused by the development of a reduced pressure inside the container.

In short, paneling is the slow, inexorable and impending implosion of your bottle. Here's a picture of two containers with the same product. The one on the right is paneling. Looks painful. (I assure you the bottle feels no pain, YOU, however, will feel the pain when your customers refuse to buy your emaciated-looking package).

So how do you stop paneling from happening? You fluorinate it! Let's return to Terminology 101 at CPS University to get a definition of fluorination.

Fluorination is a treatment for plastic containers that prevents container paneling and distortion and reduces odor emission and chemical permeation. Also reduces flavor or fragrance loss.

NOT ALL PRODUCTS NEED A FLUORINATED CONTAINER. Some products that use fluorinated bottles include: acetone, auto additives, lighter fluids, degreasers, some health and beauty care products, insecticides, kerosene, lubricants, paint thinners, plant food products, waxes, cleaners, polishes, weed killers, herbicides, wood preservatives.

Call us at 1-800-473-4144 if you have found that your containers are paneling. We can help you identify if you need fluorination.

Wanting to save space? Euclid proves EZ Stor Pails are the answer.

I haven't met anybody—packaging aficionados or otherwise—that don't quickly grasp the simplistic beauty of the rectangular pail. Most pails (AKA buckets) are round. Round pails are wonderful. They really are.

But rectangular pails are STUPENDOUS.

Read on or watch (embedded below) our CPS Video production featuring the EZ Stor pail line to learn exactly why to be square is better than being round.





For those of you who would prefer to read ... here's the crux of the video. EZ Stor pails are STUPENDOUS because they are square or rectangular instead of round. Thanks to our ancient friend Euclid of Alexandria we can use geometry to prove why square pails are STUPENDOUS opposed to just wonderful like round pails. We'll use the following image for our Euclidean experiment:



Hypothesis: Square (or rectangular) pails are STUPENDOUS because they don't waste space. Round pails do.

Assumptions: (1) The dimensions of both the round and the square pails are identical: length 12 inches, width 12 inches. (2) Both occupy a 12x12 inch space. (3) The 9 circles and the 9 squares occupy the same floorspace (36x36 inches), as pictured above.

Ok, let's do the math.


Our hypothesis is correct! Square pails have NO wasted space. Whereas the circles have 278.19 square inches of wasted space. Remember, this was all 2 dimensional ... the amount of wasted space is dramatically different when you run this experiment in 3D instead of 2D like we've done here. I mean look at all of that wasted space (see orange).



Really, if you haven't watched the video by now ... you should. This point is made much more dynamically, in 3D actually.

The EZ Stor pails are really stupendous. They also come with hinged lids, which makes getting in and out of them much easier. Some of the lids also have gaskets, which help to keep contents fresh and sealed. They work well in your pantry, garage, craft room, storage room, attic, wherever you need to store stuff.

Shop for EZ Stor pails now
Watch the video at youtube.com/conpakvideos