Plastic is one of the most common materials in our daily lives. Most plastic objects are produced on an industrial scale and have common characteristics such as lightness, versatility, and non-toxicity which is why plastics are used in industry, transport, packaging and pharmaceuticals.

• 1. PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate)

Bona's PET bottles

PET is also known as a wrinkle-free fiber. It’s different to the plastic bags that we commonly see at the supermarket. This type of plastic polymer is mostly used for food and drink packaging purposes, due to its strong ability to prevent oxygen from getting in and spoiling the product inside. It also helps to keep the carbon dioxide in carbonated drinks from getting out.

Although PET is most likely to be picked up by recycling programs, this type of plastic contains antimony trioxide —considered a carcinogen— that is capable of causing cancer within living tissue.

• 2. HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene)

Quite special when compared to the other primary types of plastic, High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) has long virtually unbranched polymer chains which makes them really dense and thus, stronger and thicker than PET. HDPE plastic is commonly used for grocery bags, opaque milk packs, juice containers, shampoo bottles, and medicine bottles.

Not only is it recyclable, but HDPE is also relatively more stable than PET. It is considered a safe option for food and drink use, although some studies have shown that when exposed to ultraviolet light it can leach estrogen-mimicking additive chemicals that could disrupt the human hormonal system.

• 3. LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene)

As said before, Polyethylenes are the most used family of plastics in the world. LDPE (Low-Density Polyethylene) has the simplest plastic polymer chemical structure, making it very easy and cheap to process. Its polymers have significant chain branching including long side chains making the plastic less dense and less crystalline (structurally ordered) and thus a generally thinner and more flexible form of polyethylene.

LDPE is mostly used for bags (grocery, dry cleaning, bread, frozen food bags, newspapers, garbage), plastic wraps; coatings for paper milk cartons and hot & cold beverage cups; some squeezable bottles (honey, mustard), food storage containers, container lids. It is also used for wire and cable protection coverings. Although some studies have shown that LDPE could also cause unhealthy hormonal effects in humans, LDPE is considered a safe plastic option for food and drink use. Unfortunately, this type of plastic is quite difficult to recycle.

• 4. PP (Polypropylene)

Bona oral spray pump

Stiffer and more resistant to heat, PP is widely used for hot food containers. Its strength quality is somewhere between that of LDPE and HDPE. Besides its use in thermal vests, and car parts, PP is also included in disposable diapers and sanitary pad liners.

Similarly to LDPE, PP is considered a safe plastic option for food and drink use. It’s a good material for baby milk bottles, as long as it is comprised of food-grade plastic and identified as “BPA-free.” Despite it bearing many amazing qualities, PP isn’t quite recyclable and could also cause asthma and hormone disruption in humans.

Bona produces all kinds of spray pumps and bottles with high quality PP, PE and PET materials that are suitable for contact with food and medicines, utilizing the best type of plastic for the product's specific use. Bona has state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities in China and the company has been awarded ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 15378:2017 certifications for its quality management system.

Today Bona is a renowned packaging manufacturer for various leading pharmaceutical companies in both its domestic and export markets.

To learn more, please visit our website at www.bona-cn.com or contact us directly to ask how we can best assist you in your next project.