GE PLASTICS
New returnable milk bottles made from PC on the market / Start in Eastern Germany
GE Plastics (PO Box 117, NL-4600 Bergen op Zoom) presented at the "Intermopro 94" Fair (October in Düsseldorf) the new milk bottle made from "Lexan" polycarbonate which is now available against a deposit. The main competitor of the GE bottle is the PC bottle made of "Makrolon" of Bayer AG (D-51368 Leverkusen) already being used for liquid milk products. Whether Lexan or Makrolon, the plastic light bottle is produced by Greiner & Söhne (A-4550 Kremsmünster).
Since June, Milchwerke Thüringen GmbH (D-99085 Erfurt) has operated a complete washing and filling plant for 1 l "Lexan" bottles. GEP announced that it would be possible, in principle, to reset existing handling, filling and cleaning plants for the special requirements of PC bottles. In addition, a special cleaner which guarantees cleanliness and sterility during the entire life of the milk bottle and which could also be used for conventional glass bottles, has been developed jointly with Henkel Ecolab (Reisholzer Werftstraße 38-42, D-40589 Düssseldorf). The sale of plastic returnable bottles was originally limited to the regions of Thuringia and Bielefeld and will now be expanded to all of Germany with an increased range of milk products offered.
The arguments in favour of milk bottles made from "Lexan" and therefore against glass and cardboard are virtually selfevident according to GE Plastics: consumers and the trade profit from the advantages of unbreakable, light and easily stackable packaging (because of its square form.)
Logistic costs will be decreased and all important environmental requirements fulfilled. "Lexan" is also fully recyclable. In GEP's opinion, the market prognoses for the new bottles are, all in all, very "promising". Positive reaction also in the milk sector: The magazine "Milch-Marketing" chose the returnable bottle made from "Lexan" as the "product of the year 1993". The interviewed trade purchasers unanimously described it as "ecologically up-to-date".
KI-SERVICE: Collection of press releases (German) for "lntermopro 94": "Lexan" PC returnable bottle (with photos): PIE-No. 36845.
Since June, Milchwerke Thüringen GmbH (D-99085 Erfurt) has operated a complete washing and filling plant for 1 l "Lexan" bottles. GEP announced that it would be possible, in principle, to reset existing handling, filling and cleaning plants for the special requirements of PC bottles. In addition, a special cleaner which guarantees cleanliness and sterility during the entire life of the milk bottle and which could also be used for conventional glass bottles, has been developed jointly with Henkel Ecolab (Reisholzer Werftstraße 38-42, D-40589 Düssseldorf). The sale of plastic returnable bottles was originally limited to the regions of Thuringia and Bielefeld and will now be expanded to all of Germany with an increased range of milk products offered.
The arguments in favour of milk bottles made from "Lexan" and therefore against glass and cardboard are virtually selfevident according to GE Plastics: consumers and the trade profit from the advantages of unbreakable, light and easily stackable packaging (because of its square form.)
Logistic costs will be decreased and all important environmental requirements fulfilled. "Lexan" is also fully recyclable. In GEP's opinion, the market prognoses for the new bottles are, all in all, very "promising". Positive reaction also in the milk sector: The magazine "Milch-Marketing" chose the returnable bottle made from "Lexan" as the "product of the year 1993". The interviewed trade purchasers unanimously described it as "ecologically up-to-date".
KI-SERVICE: Collection of press releases (German) for "lntermopro 94": "Lexan" PC returnable bottle (with photos): PIE-No. 36845.
15.12.1994 Plasteurope.com [21055]
Published on 15.12.1994