UV light can pose serious problems for a variety of products. Whether you’re worried about food products sitting out on shelves or have a substance that simply can’t deal with UV exposure, it’s critical to invest in packaging for light sensitive products. Let’s break down how you can invest in bottles that protect products susceptible to light.
Material Options to Limit UV Transmission Through Plastic and Glass
Regardless of whether you need plastic bottles or glass bottles, there are options available to help limit or prevent the impact of UV light on your products.
UV prevention for plastic bottles
In terms of plastic bottles, PET, PVC, and high density PE will all help limit UV transmission with the help of colorants. Essentially, manufacturers can add a colorant in the resin when blow molding plastic bottles to help block out the sun and any other source of UV light.
Some colors are better suited for UV blockage than others. Darker shades like blue, brown, or black are better at absorbing UV rays than lighter colors. This can be an attractive solution if you want to block out as much light as possible. However, that level of absorption can also heat up your bottle and potentially spoil, discolor, or adversely affect your contents depending on your product. As such, you’ll need to identify if your product can handle heat absorption if you opt for darkly colored plastic bottles.
While lighter colors don’t boast the same level or UV absorption, solid colors like white or yellow can reflect incoming UV light to protect products. This allows you to help keep products at an appropriate temperature while protecting them from potential spoilage or other ill effects.
For products that demand as little UV transmission as possible, you may need to invest in measures beyond colorants. A multi-layer bottle made with an interior layer of vinyl and outer layer of polyethylene can help shield sensitive chemicals and other substances.
UV prevention for glass bottles
When it comes to glass bottles, there are three main colors available: cobalt (blue), amber (brown), or green. Of these three, amber offers the most protection against light, which is why it’s a natural choice for pharmaceutical products. Cobalt also offers an ample amount of UV protection because it’s less translucent.
While cobalt, amber, and green are common available colors, glass bottles can be made with any level of colorant. However, this route will likely require custom containers built for your specifications.
Invest in the Right Plastic and Glass Bottles for Your Light Sensitive Products
When light is an issue, it’s crucial to get the right plastic and glass bottles for your products. Our team can work with you to identify available bottles or source custom containers that both look great and properly protect your products.
