photos: Dr. Nora Schiemann, Plastipak (coloured cans)
Possibilities and limits
Plastic aerosols |
What are the pros and cons of plastic and metal aerosol cans?
L
ately, more plastic aerosol
packs have been available in
the market across Europe. Plas-
tic seems to offer opportunities to
create sustainable products. Looking
a little bit closer, however, there are
also some limitations that are even
more restrictive than those for metal
cans. After all, pressurised contain-
ers made of plastic need to comply
with the same safety targets required
for all aerosol packs:
• All aerosols in Europe have to be
temperature-resistant up to 50°C
• No leakage
• Mechanical resistance up to 50°C
and even higher (e.g. to emerge
unscathed from a hot water bath
and other special conditions that
might occur)
In addition, by no means must the me-
chanical resistance of the aerosol dis-
penser be impaired by the substances
contained in it, even during prolonged
storage. This applies to long-term re-
sistance against ingredients and the
environment (chemical and biological
resistance, UV rays etc.).
Common myths
on plastic aerosols
1.
Plastic is much cheaper than metal:
However, plastic can be much more
expensive than metal, as e.g. bever-
age bottles cannot be taken as a ref-
erence.
2.
Plastic can be shaped more at-
tractively:
However, shaping plastic
cans in an appealing way is costly.
The more complicated a shape, the
AUTHOR:
Dr Nora Schiemann, Consultant
for Technopolis Group on the evaluation of
the European Aerosol Dispensers Directive
on request of the European Commission
Cologne, Germany
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