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As bottle lightweighting reaches its limits, the handle must go

By Rain Noe - February 1, 2008

in Object Culture

What does the handle of a milk bottle have in common with a low-rent booking agent? They both take ten percent. UK recycling org WRAP estimates getting rid of the handles on plastic milk bottles will shave 10% off the materials, which means not just cheaper manufacturing costs, but less landfill.

Peter Skelton from WRAP's retail team said: "Plastic milk bottles are probably the most common plastic item found in household waste and manufacturers and brand owners have taken the current handled designs as far as they can go in terms of lightweighting. The vital next step is perfecting a handle-free design which works for the consumer."

Bottle producer Nampak is tackling the project in association with Dairy Crest, which puts out roughly a billion liters of milk in a year. Estimated savings gained by losing their bottle's handle? 1,250 tonnes of HDPE plastic. Designing a better grip feature seems like a small price to pay.

via food production daily

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kirk mosna

16 years ago

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In most of Canada we already use a handle free milk container - it's also bottle free.
Instead we use milk bags. The milk bag is placed in a milk bag pitcher - you cut the top corner of the bag off and pour.
We've been using milk bags for the last 35 years -it works well.
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Alex Glaros

16 years ago

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This is the typical approach we see time and time again. "Its cheaper to manufacture, less material, oh yeah, and its good for the environment". This is not the right design direction rather a good way to make more profits.
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Ed

16 years ago

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Designing out the plastic would be even better.
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Hayden

16 years ago

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Ok - so now were seriously compromising a needed functional part of a product to save a measly 10% ... time for a paradigm shift anyone ?
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Ken J

16 years ago

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It's simple. Get rid of the bottle. Go to bags of milk instead. The milk will stay fresh longer as well.
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