Global consumer goods leader Colgate-Palmolive has unveiled what it describes as a “game-changing” advancement in high-density polyethylene (HDPE) bottle manufacturing, in collaboration with Polyplastics and Plastic Technologies, Inc. (PTI).
The partners have developed a novel method using injection stretch blow moulding (ISBM) to produce thin-walled, hot-fillable HDPE containers, delivering reported reductions of up to 25% in both bottle weight and production cycle times.
Traditionally associated with PET bottle manufacturing, ISBM has not been widely adopted for HDPE due to material processing limitations.
However, the new approach integrates a second component into HDPE – an ethylene copolymer known as TOPAS cyclic olefin copolymer (COC), supplied by Polyplastics.
According to the project partners, incorporating TOPAS COC significantly enlarges HDPE’s processing window, making ISBM both practical and efficient while maintaining recyclability.
The breakthrough addresses long-standing drawbacks of extrusion blow moulding (EBM), the dominant method for HDPE bottle production.
EBM processes often result in longer cycle times and heavier containers, particularly due to excess material accumulation at the base.
By contrast, ISBM enables more uniform wall distribution and improved material efficiency, aligning with brand owners’ sustainability and cost-optimization goals.
Colgate-Palmolive says it is exploring COC-enabled HDPE structures to deliver cost-effective, high-performance packaging that meets tightening regulatory requirements for lightweighting and resource efficiency.
Early results have been described as encouraging, with commercialization pathways under active development.
The development comes amid broader innovation within the company’s packaging portfolio.
In December, Colgate-Palmolive announced a strategic partnership with biomaterials company Erthos to co-develop sustainable packaging solutions using an AI-powered materials discovery platform called Zya, expected to launch commercially in early 2026.
The collaboration focuses initially on flexible packaging formats such as sachets and films for paper coating and lamination.
According to Erthos co-founder and CEO Nuha Siddiqui, Zya leverages proprietary research and AI modelling to design non-toxic, PFAS-free biopolymer materials capable of meeting stringent multilayer packaging standards.
The platform can predict key performance metrics, including water vapor and oxygentransmission rates, accelerating formulation and reducing reliance on lengthy physical testing.
Greg Corra, Colgate-Palmolive’s senior vice president of global packaging and sustainability, said the AI-driven system provides “comprehensive and actionable data” to support development decisions.
Together, the ISBM-HDPE breakthrough and AI-enabled biomaterials initiative signal Colgate-Palmolive’s intensified push toward lightweight, high-performance, and future-ready packaging solutions across its global portfolio.
