PHILMONT, N.Y. - Adding color only to the outer of three layers can save some custom blow molded bottle buyers up to 20 percent on the cost of the bottle, said Ken Janowitz, president of McKechnie Plastic Packaging. The Philmont firm said it has achieved 20 percent savings for customers using the single-layer color technique and by involving a middle layer of post-consumer high density polyethylene.
``Our customers in the personal-care industry, especially the makers of shampoo and cosmetics, have seen that kind of savings since we started the process,'' Janowitz said. ``Some of those customers are using pearlescent colors that can cost $10 per pound, so coloring only one layer really cuts the amount of color they have to use.''
The firm blows a range of bottles, from 8 ounces to 32 ounces. It also does custom decorating.
Janowitz added that inclusion of a center layer of recycled HDPE between inner and outer layers of virgin allows the customers to comply with the various recycling mandates in certain markets. He said coloring only one layer of the three-layer bottles does not affect the quality of the color.
``The coextrusion blow molding methods have been around for a while now,'' Janowitz said. ``And we feel we have come up with a good way to improve that technology and add value for the customer.''
McKechnie is a division of London-based McKechnie plc.