Pretium Packaging (pretiumpkg.com) is launching a new 12-oz. PET sauce bottle that has been designed to mimic the look and feel of glass. The bottle can be made with up to 50 percent recycled PET.

“When a PET substitute is produced for a specific fill volume it has a smaller footprint because the blow molding process results in sidewalls that are thinner than glass. That means reduced shelf presence and ‘hand feel’ that is less substantial. As a result, many brand owners marketing premium products have been reluctant to make the conversion,” explained Barry Sak, vice president, business development, Pretium. 

In designing the new 12-ounce, 38-400mm stock bottle, Pretium’s objective was to engineer an alternative so brand owners could capitalize on the positive attributes of PET, but still keep the desired glass attributes.

Pretium selected a 40 gram preform, which is approximately 50 percent heavier than those typically used for 12-ounce PET sauce bottles. Pretium’s engineers were able to modify shoulder, neck and label indentation areas, to end up with a bottle that met both fill and dimension requirements.

PET benefits include shatter-resistance, less weight to transport and easier handling, while still having desired shelf and handling attributes. Additionally, as ecommerce distribution for food products continues to grow, PET’s lightweight and shatter resistance is ideally suited to withstand distribution challenges.

Pretium’s 12-oz. sauce bottle works for cold or ambient fills up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit and can be used for a wide variety of products.