In fact, according to the different materials used, there are four main types of beverage packaging on the market: polyester bottles (PET), metal, paper packaging and glass bottles, which have become the “four major families” in the beverage packaging market. From the perspective of the family’s market share, glass bottles account for about 30%, PET accounts for 30%, metal accounts for nearly 30%, and paper packaging accounts for about 10%.
Glass is the oldest of the four major families and is also the packaging material with the longest history of use. Everyone should have the impression that in the 1980s and 1990s, the soda, beer, and champagne we drank were all packaged in glass bottles. Even now, glass still plays an important role in the packaging industry.
Glass containers are non-toxic and tasteless, and they look transparent, allowing people to see the contents at a glance, giving people a sense of beauty. Moreover, it has good barrier properties and is airtight, so there is no need to worry about spilling or insects getting in after being left for a long time. In addition, it is inexpensive, can be cleaned and disinfected many times, and is not afraid of heat or high pressure. It has thousands of advantages, so it is used by many food companies to hold beverages. It is especially not afraid of high pressure, and is very suitable for carbonated beverages, such as beer, soda, and juice.
However, glass packaging containers also have some disadvantages. The main problem is that they are heavy, brittle, and easy to break. In addition, it is not convenient to print new patterns, icons, and other secondary processing, so the current usage is getting less and less. Nowadays, beverages made of glass containers are basically not seen on the shelves of large supermarkets. Only in places with low consumption power such as schools, small shops, canteens, and small restaurants can you see carbonated beverages, beer, and soy milk in glass bottles.
In the 1980s, metal packaging began to appear on the stage. The emergence of metal canned beverages has improved people’s living standards. At present, metal cans are divided into two-piece cans and three-piece cans. The materials used for three-piece cans are mostly tin-plated thin steel plates (tinplate), and the materials used for two-piece cans are mostly aluminum alloy plates. Since aluminum cans have better sealing and ductility and are also suitable for low-temperature filling, they are more suitable for beverages that produce gas, such as carbonated beverages, beer, etc.
At present, aluminum cans are more widely used than iron cans in the market. Among the canned beverages you can see, almost all are packaged in aluminum cans.
There are many advantages of metal cans. It is not easy to break, easy to carry, not afraid of high temperature and high pressure and changes in air humidity, and not afraid of erosion by harmful substances. It has excellent barrier properties, light and gas isolation, can prevent air from entering to produce oxidation reactions, and keep the beverages for a longer time.
Moreover, the surface of the metal can is well decorated, which is convenient for drawing various patterns and colors. Therefore, most beverages in metal cans are colorful and the patterns are also very rich. Finally, metal cans are convenient for recycling and reuse, which is more environmentally friendly.
However, metal packaging containers also have their disadvantages. On the one hand, they have poor chemical stability and are afraid of both acids and alkalis. Too high acidity or too strong alkalinity will slowly corrode the metal. On the other hand, if the inner coating of the metal packaging is of poor quality or the process is not up to standard, the taste of the beverage will change.
Early paper packaging generally uses high-strength original paperboard. However, pure paper packaging materials are difficult to use in beverages. The paper packaging used now is almost all paper composite materials, such as Tetra Pak, Combibloc and other paper-plastic composite packaging containers.
The PE film or aluminum foil in the composite paper material can avoid light and air, and will not affect the taste, so it is more suitable for short-term preservation of fresh milk, yogurt and long-term preservation of dairy beverages, tea beverages and juices. Shapes include Tetra Pak pillows, aseptic square bricks, etc.
However, the pressure resistance and sealing barrier of paper-plastic composite containers are not as good as glass bottles, metal cans and plastic containers, and they cannot be heated and sterilized. Therefore, during the storage process, the preformed paper box will reduce its heat sealing performance due to the oxidation of the PE film, or become uneven due to creases and other reasons, causing the problem of difficulty in feeding the filling molding machine.