That is One Sexy Beer Bottle

Is the market clamoring for a new beer bottle? Well, no, not really. But the plastics industry would sure like a taste of the business that uses millions and millions of glass bottles and metal cans but hardly any petroleum based packaging.

But how can they do it? Glass and metal are so entrenched in brewers' and drinkers' minds as the proper package that it seems a difficult thing to convince them to switch to plastics. In this case it's all about the design. A sleek plastic bottle with a clever upside-down cap is certainly eye-catching although it might be a bit of an issue when it comes to designing a label that will work regardless of which end of the bottle is up.

But does plastic really offer any other benefits? A big problem with glass is that it's heavy, which increases shipping costs, and it can break into harmful shards. Metal cans solved both of these problems plus they are largely recyclable. Given this plus the bother and expense of retooling a brewery's packaging line so that it can process the new plastic bottles make it unlikely that you're going to see your favorite brew in a sexy new plastic bottle any time soon.