Huicong Plastic Network News: PET bottles are common packaging containers widely used in personal care products (shampoo, hand sanitizer, shower gel, and cosmetics); Household cleaning products (such as cleaning agents, hand sanitizers, and dishwashers): various solid foods and spices: fruit juices and functional beverages, as well as vitamin packaging.

In order to meet the needs of consumers, brands have to add artificial colors and preservatives to the above-mentioned contents. However, due to the easy transparency of PET bottles, ultraviolet radiation can decompose these artificial colors and preservatives, which can have a negative impact on the appearance, color, taste, and nutritional value of the contents.

Although brand owners may avoid exposing PET bottles to direct sunlight and indoor lighting during product storage, distribution, and retail display, it is still difficult to escape the ubiquitous ultraviolet radiation.

What should I do?

Milliken showcased at this year's Interpack exhibition how to provide UV protection for PET bottles through additives!

This absorbent provides effective UV filtering absorption to protect the contents while maintaining the permeability of the packaging material, bringing true value to PET packaging!

Absorb and filter 95% of ultraviolet rays

ClearShield absorbents can filter 95% of UV wavelengths up to 390 nanometers, achieving effective results with very low doses, allowing brands to use more UV sensitive natural flavors and colorants in packaging content. Brand manufacturers can ultimately reduce costs by reducing the required stabilizers and preservatives, as well as minimizing the complexity of their formulations.

lower production cost

ClearShield has obtained approval from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for food contact applications, overcoming the shortcomings of traditional technologies. ClearShield UV absorbers are easy to handle and measure, and can be directly added to PET without penetrating into beverages. The manufacturer of PET preforms can also simplify the process by using PET with ClearShield added.

achieve sustainable development

But the benefits of using ClearShield go far beyond that. It can also bring sustainable benefits. "For startups," Simon Bousquet, technical manager at Milliken, explained, "the dosage of ClearShield can be reduced by 20 times compared to traditional UV absorbers, and the final protective effect is the same. At the same time, brand owners don't have to worry about it containing toxic chemicals like some traditional UV stabilizers, and it can also pollute wastewater

In addition, Bousquet pointed out that "better content protection and extended shelf life can help reduce product waste. With ClearShield, brands can continue to use natural, uncolored PET and avoid using dark or colored containers for packaging," he explained. When those opaque and colored PET materials are recycled, they will turn black, making recycling more difficult and reducing the value of the recycled products

The Brussels based European Plastic Recycling Association (PRE) has also sounded the alarm: the number of colored PET bottles (bags) is gradually increasing, which will pose a danger to the future recycling of PET. PRE further pointed out that once PET bottles are collected and classified, these colored PET bottles need to be sorted out again. Once the recycling station sells these colored PET bottles, after recycling, the recycled materials will be dyed black or gray, and the value of reuse will be greatly reduced.

Responsible Editor: Ye Dan