Find the right plastic packaging for my product!

This is how you can avoid making serious mistakes!

Selecting the right packaging for a product is not always easy, even for professionals!


A mistake can have unpleasant and expensive consequences. That’s why making the right choice and especially testing the packaging correctly is important; these steps should not be skipped under any circumstances.

Customers always ask whether a certain chemical or cosmetic product is suitable for this PET bottle or that plastic jar. Unfortunately, most of the time we can’t answer this question. The reason for this is because of the multitude of chemical substances and their combination. It’s not easy to estimate what effect they will have on plastic packaging.

Indispensable: testing the plastic packaging with the filling material.

There’s no way around it: testing how the plastic packaging will react together with the filling material is a must. It’s always the responsibility of the filler to ensure the suitability of the packaging materials!

The following test method is used by most professional fillers:

Accelerated ageing test

During this test, a package such as a PET spray bottle is filled with the filling material and stored in a heating cabinet at 40°C for two to three weeks. With a spray bottle, the spray atomiser can be operated every 3 – 4 days.
This makes it possible to simulate the ageing process of the plastic packaging at storage conditions around 20°C for several months.

After the test time has passed, the packaging (a plastic bottle, for example) is cut open and visually examined for any changes. Transparent bottles are particularly easy to recognise, e.g. milky cloudiness or even detachment of the plastic.

Common problems of plastic packaging when unsuitable filling material is used

• Plastic is severely attacked and destroyed (pitting).
• Plastic is attacked and shrinks/hardens and becomes brittle, seals on finger sprayers or soap pumps leak.
• Increased internal pressure causes problems.
• Filling material clogs up/glues spray atomiser or lotion pump nozzles.
• Filling material thickens and can no longer be removed or pumped.
• Components of the filling material diffuse through the plastic. They attack labels or printing.
• External substances (e.g. oxygen, water) diffuse through the plastic packaging and damage the filling material.

 

Special care must be taken with the following substances in connection with plastic packaging

• Essential oils!!
  Acids.
• Solvents – especially for PS (polystyrene).
• Flour, FKW, FW.
• You can find a very good overview here:

Make sure to test whether the packaging you have selected is leak-proof as well! For example, PET cans or cream jars may leak if they contain very leaky substances such as oils.

We strongly advise you to do at least simple tests before buying larger bottle quantities! Save yourself a lot of trouble as well as money! We’ll be happy to support you by providing you with samples – these are even made free of charge to companies!

Get in touch with you queries!