KHS, Husky set new standard with ultra-lightweight 5.89g PET bottle for still beverages
KHS and Husky have introduced a 591ml PET bottle weighing just 5.89g, cutting material use by 30%.
GERMANY – KHS, in collaboration with Canadian firm Husky Technologies, has developed one of the lightest PET bottles for still beverages currently on record.
Branded under the working title “Factor 101,” the bottle weighs just 5.89 grams and holds 591 millilitres of liquid, the equivalent of the standard 20-ounce size commonly used in the United States.
This development marks a significant milestone in lightweight packaging innovation, following KHS’s earlier presentation of its “Factor 100” concept at drinktec 2017.
That feasibility study featured a 500ml PET bottle weighing approximately five grams. With the Factor 101 concept, both companies have implemented several enhancements to improve the structure and material efficiency of the bottle.
“To support such extreme lightweighting, the top load performance becomes critical,” explained Fabian Osterhold, packaging designer at KHS. “Top load refers to the vertical strength of the bottle, indicating whether it can withstand stacking and transportation without damage.”
To ensure adequate structural integrity, the design of the bottle’s shoulder has been altered and the body reinforced with functional webbing.
However, adjusting the bottle shape alone was not sufficient. Osterhold noted that the preform design also required optimisation to achieve the necessary balance between strength and minimal material usage.
This led KHS to partner with Husky Technologies, leveraging its expertise in injection moulding technology to refine the preform. The cooperation focused on stretching factors from blank to bottle and the resulting preform dimensions. Particular attention was paid to the length-to-wall-thickness ratio, a key aspect in injection moulding.
KHS contributed technology enhancements such as precise temperature control in the heating stage of its InnoPET Blomax Series V stretch blow molder.
According to Osterhold, this equipment allows for exact temperature profiling directly under the bottle neck ring, ensuring uniform material stretching and minimising waste.
Compared to a standard lightweight PET bottle holding 500ml of still water—typically weighing seven grams in the US market—the new 5.89g bottle reduces material usage by approximately 30%.
Furthermore, it can be produced entirely from recycled PET (rPET), enhancing its sustainability profile.
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