Using eco-friendly materials like post-consumer resin (PCR), recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) as an example, is ideal for blow molders committed to sustainability. However, because these resins come from many different sources and types of plastic, it’s a challenge to achieve consistent quality with the final product.
The PCR plastic recycling process can introduce contaminants that weaken the container’s integrity. To address this, implementing reliable quality control measures, such as empty rigid container inspection, is crucial. Partnering with ALPS Inspection allows you to incorporate leak testing, simple vision capabilities, and even metal detection into your production line, ensuring the highest quality standards.
Let’s explore why strict quality control measures for sustainable packaging are so important and how ALPS Inspection solutions can help you achieve your sustainability goals without sacrificing product quality.
The Rise of Sustainable Plastic Packaging In Blow Molding
It’s no secret the demand for more sustainable products and packaging is on the rise in today’s consumer market. On May 21, 2024, Minnesota became the fifth state to pass a law requiring recycled content in plastic packaging, and by January 1, 2025, beverage manufacturers in California must use at least 25% recycled plastic. Similarly, a 2024 New Jersey law aims for all rigid plastic containers to contain 50% recycled content by 2036, and the list goes on.
For many blow molding manufacturers, using eco-friendly plastic resin is as crucial to them as it is to their customers. Most converters now incorporate some percentage of regrind or recyclable resin into their production, with ratios varying from 10% to 50% PCR material.
— Mark P Kloff, ALPS Senior Technical Service Engineer
While we often see rPET in production, different forms of PCR resins, such as PP and HDPE, are available, states Kloff. High-speed blow molding processes, typically converting PET containers, may require a higher proportion of virgin resin to minimize variations during production. Understanding these ratios and the materials used can significantly impact the efficiency and quality control of the production line.
Ensuring Top-Quality in Eco-Friendly Plastic Containers
Quality control should be a key consideration in every aspect of empty plastic container production, including raw material choices, packaging design, process development, labeling, storage, safety, and more. It ensures a finished product meets or exceeds specified standards or expectations and is especially important when using sustainable materials like PCR. This is because the recycling process can introduce foreign materials such as metal, ceramics, and debris into the plastic, which can cause container defects and affect the finished product's strength, clarity, and color.
Eliminate Defects and Metal Contaminants
Integrating a reliable leak tester in a converter’s production line is essential for identifying your products’ quality issues. In-line leak testing equipment not only rejects faulty containers but also provides valuable data and insights that can be used to improve and refine your blow-molding process, especially when using PCR materials.
In addition to identifying container defects, metal detection is crucial for bottles with recycled material. Adding reliable metal detectors to your production lines allows you to check for contaminants such as iron, steel, stainless steel, or non-ferrous metals that may have been introduced during the manufacturing process.
In partnership with our sister company, CASSEL Inspection, ALPS works directly with their customers to add metal detection into their lines, ensuring complete safety and quality in your products. Learn more here.
Is rPET packaging here to stay in the food and beverage industry? Read this blog post to find out.
Mastering Quality Control for Sustainable Blow Molding
Leak testing equipment is one of the most reliable and cost-effective quality control measures for any blow-molding process, particularly one that uses recycled materials. Integrating in-line leak testing equipment into your manufacturing process ensures every bottle made from PCR material is error-free.
ALPS Inspection’s Leak Testing Solutions
For over 50 years, ALPS Inspection has been collaborating with converters to provide leak testing solutions, rejecting containers with known and unknown flaws. Our leak testing solutions are a type of product insurance that allows you to feel confident every plastic bottle made from eco-friendly plastic material meets specifications for strength and integrity.
From small 1 oz to 5 gallon-sized containers, ALPS leak testing machines identify a range of common defects, including:
- Seal surface issues, such as short shots and cocked necks
- Holes from gate leaks, contamination, and malformed bottles
- Finish trim defects
- Height and topload concerns
Add additional assurance with simple Vision Option capabilities, which can be added to an in-line leak testing system like the ALPS FlexPitch multi-head machine. The Vision Option uses an Omron camera, which is mounted at the machine’s infeed, to identify choked necks, finish ovality, and inside/outside diameter variations.
Leak detection guarantees every container that makes it to the end-user meets standards and expectations. Learn everything you need to know about leak testing, including inspecting PCR content, here.
Why Choose ALPS Inspection?
A leader in leak testing solutions since 1974, ALPS Inspection has provided over 3,000 systems that are testing over 50 billion containers yearly. From hand-fed testers like our BenchPlus Manual Leak Tester (great for testing new container materials and designs or random sampling without the downtime) to high-speed rotary systems, ALPS leak testing solutions enhance sustainable packaging quality, consistency, and brand integrity.
Remember, achieving sustainable packaging goals does not mean you have to compromise on quality.
If you’re a blow molding manufacturer that uses PCR recycled materials and would like an unparalleled partner for your rigid container inspection, such as leak testing, simple vision capabilities and metal detection, contact us today. We are here to help improve your quality control and enhance your sustainability programs.
