Camila Canturin, Alessandra Rojas and Rafael Villanueva from the Industrial Engineering Department of the Universidad de Lima, conducted a report on Replacing PET plastic with PLA as A sustainable alternative to functional drink containers.
For the tests, the researchers used our PLA bottles.
Purpose and Findings of the Study
This study evaluated the technical and environmental feasibility of replacing conventional PET bottles with bottles made from PLA (polylactic acid), a biobased and biodegradable material. Laboratory tests compared mechanical strength, transparency, and biodegradability. The results showed that PLA bottles meet functional packaging requirements while offering a clear environmental advantage — under optimal conditions, they can biodegrade within approximately 100 days, unlike PET, which can persist for centuries. Although PLA is less rigid than PET, it demonstrated strong resistance to force and, most importantly, a significantly higher biodegradation rate, making it a sustainable alternative for beverage packaging.
Key Findings:
Mechanical performance: PET showed higher rigidity, but our PLA bottles withstood higher peak forces before breaking, indicating strong load-bearing capacity.
Optical quality: Both materials met international transparency standards, with PET slightly ahead.
Biodegradability: PET showed 0% degradation, while PLA achieved a remarkable 65% biodegradation in just 4 days under test conditions.
Environmental advantage: PLA production emits far less CO₂ (11.85 kg CO₂eq) compared to PET (498 kg CO₂eq) and has 88% lower ecotoxicity.
The conclusion: PLA is a technically viable and environmentally superior alternative to PET for beverage packaging, especially in applications with shorter shelf life and sustainability goals.
Our Next Step – Improved PLA Technology
Following this research, we re-evaluated the data and pushed our innovation further. We have now developed a new PLA compound that offers:
Improved strength and flexibility – better handling performance and reduced brittleness
Optimized production efficiency – easier and faster to manufacture, lowering production costs
Maintained sustainability – 100% biobased, non-toxic, and fully compostable
With these improvements, our PLA bottles are now stronger, more reliable, and even better suited for high-volume commercial use, while continuing to deliver on our mission to replace single-use fossil plastics with sustainable solutions.