Alpla ECO Milk Bottle

Name of Project

ALPLA’s Eco-Bottle

Aim of Project

Create a bottle 20 per cent lighter than the average current products sold. As well as this, increase the content of food-approved post-consumer recycling material (rHDPE) within the new bottles. 

Materials Used

HDPE & rHDPE

Brief Description

The challenge of creating a lighter bottle whilst still performing the same function requires a lot of technical ingenuity.

There's a lot to consider: you must not design something which is too flimsy for transport or labelling. Lightweighting should not be driven to the point of losing sustainability overall - material too thin may require a protective layer of nylon or an oxygen scavenger to create a barrier to preserve the product, which would contaminate the recycling stream.  

This lightweighting challenge involved Packaging Managers, Product Designers, Logistical Equipment Designers and Programme Managers working together creatively to find a solution. 

At the end of the design and development process, the ALPLA Eco-Bottle Range had been created. ALPLA’s Eco-Bottle Range successfully combines economic savings, environmental benefits and functionality requirements. The Eco-Bottle has established itself in this market sector and is used by many customers with the majority share of the UK dairy market.