Laundry Bottle Cleans Up on Lightweighting

Rigid plastic packaging providers continue to make strides in lightweighting. The latest is Graham Packaging, which has commercialized its AccuStrength technology. The company claims the proprietary extrusion blow-molding process is set to reimagine sustainability and design in the packaging industry, marking a significant leap forward in lightweighting practices.

Announced yesterday, it was launched last fall in collaboration with one of Graham’s prominent laundry customers.

AccuStrength is said to be a perfect marriage between enhanced performance and lightweight sustainable packaging. The proprietary technology permits adding vertical layers of plastic that can be precisely adjusted to specific areas of a container. This exacting material placement improves load-bearing performance and is ideal for areas prone to buckling or deflection.

AccuStrength concentrates most of the weight in areas of the bottle where it is needed the most for structural integrity. By doing so, AccuStrength can produce containers that are up to 15% lighter.

It's optimized for larger oval or rectangular containers.

A Graham Packaging representative tells us that "we don’t believe there are any limitations with polymer type, but we have only run it on our typical bottle-making polymers, high-density polyethylene and polypropylene."

They have tested it for bottle sizes from 30 to 300 fluid ounces.

"We have found it most effective for rectangular, square, and highly oblong bottles where areas become thinner due to plastic stretching during the blow molding process," adds the company contact. "It just happens that a lot of laundry and automotive bottles have those kinds of shapes."

Less plastic means a smaller carbon footprint.

"We are thrilled to introduce AccuStrength as a game-changer in the packaging industry," says Steve Estok, president of the home care and industrial business unit, Graham Packaging. "This technology not only enhances the structural integrity of containers but also addresses the urgent need for sustainable packaging solutions. We believe AccuStrength will set a new standard for lightweighting and positively impact the entire supply chain."

AccuStrength bottles also provide tangible cost savings in fuel and shipping. The technology enables brands to use less plastic and lower their carbon footprint, helping them achieve eco-friendly practices and targets.

A video of the technology is available at Youtube. More information is available here.