Towards a bottle weight reduction - Evaluation in a selected milk plant in the United Kingdom

Abstract: The United Kingdom is one of the biggest milk producers in the world. The dairy market is a competitive industry where cost is a driving force. Milk is considered a day-to-day product in this country, packaged primarily in HPDE bottles. The need for a cost effective product is driving companies to seek for alternative packaging solutions. The thesis is focused on the weight reduction of a HDPE bottle in a selected production milk plant. The achievement of this reduction has a direct implication on material cost and environmental impact. A study of the different milk bottles on the market is included, evaluating designs and materials. Five different tests are used for studying the standard and light weight bottle. In addition, the performance of the standard bottle in the milk production plant was assessed, identifying the critical points in the line. An initial trial was carried out on the blow molding equipment that allowed the evaluation the bottles properties. The data obtained in this thesis allows proceeding with a weight reduction trial and provides the necessary information for comparing with the standard bottle. Different materials and technologies were investigated as possible alternatives for cost reduction. Results from these investigations provide a frame for further study, where it is necessary to further assess the cost implications and its feasibility.