Amcor has developed the first fresh milk bottle made of transparent post-consumer recycled (PCR) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin for the Argentine dairy market. The custom-designed 1-L container for leading dairy maker Mastellone delivers optimum shelf life and increased sustainability benefits.

Latin American dairy companies are increasingly using clear PET bottles to showcase freshness and premium quality. The cold-fill bottle contains 20% PCR content and is designed to drive consumers from aseptic packages to the chilled section of the grocery store.

The breakthrough bottle follows the October 2019 launch of Mastellone’s shelf-stable, ultra-high temperature (UHT) white milk in aseptic, white-colored PET bottles also from Amcor.

Amcor has developed the first fresh milk bottle made of transparent post-consumer recycled PET resin for the Argentine market.

“In a market that has remained stagnant for several years, we’ve broken the rules by developing an entirely new format offering for fresh milk,” said Martin Darmandrail, Amcor’s Specialty Containers Director (Argentina). “We’ve shaken things up with a unique fresh milk package with the durability, freshness, performance, and sustainability benefits of PET.” 

The container includes a 38mm finish and a HDPE screw cap from Bericap North America (a joint venture between Amcor and the Bericap Group). A technical challenge was limiting light exposure and preventing damage to the product. To preserve the contents, a special barrier was developed to help extend shelf life. 

“Mastellone wanted to align its grass-fed sourced, ultra-pasteurized fresh milk product with Amcor’s clear plastic bottle. Amcor responded to the challenge with a distinctive transparent solution combined with an effective barrier to preserve our premium product,” stated Gaston Dominguez, Manager, R&D Packaging for Mastellone.