A bottle is a container, often made of glass, for holding liquids. Bottle can also refer to the act of enclosing or confining something, or to a 19th century slang term for courage or nerve. In television, a bottle episode is an episode that is filmed in only one prebuilt set. This allows the production team to save money on expenses such as building and renting new sets, adding extras to the cast, or hiring guest stars who haven’t signed full-season contracts. This saves money that can be used to produce more ambitious episodes later in the season.
Plastic bottles are used to store a wide variety of liquids, including water, soft drinks, motor oil, medicine, shampoo, and milk. They can range in size from very small sample bottles to large carboys. Plastic bottles have many advantages over glass containers, including lower production costs and easier transport and storage. However, they can be difficult to recycle and may release harmful chemicals when broken down.
The first plastic bottles to gain widespread popularity were molded from polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET is a clear, durable, and versatile plastic that is able to be shaped into a wide variety of shapes. PET is also easily recyclable and is the most recycled plastic in the United States. Recycled PET is used to make products such as winter jackets, rugs, playground equipment, and dog beds.
PET is also a safe material for food packaging. It can be produced without using any chemicals that are hazardous to human health or the environment. This makes it an attractive option for beverage producers. In addition, PET is lighter than glass and does not break as easily. These qualities combined with the ability to create very detailed designs have led to a rapid rise in the popularity of PET bottles.
Although bottles made from other types of plastic are available, PET is still the most popular type of bottle. Other popular materials include polyvinyl chloride (PVC or vinyl), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), and polypropylene (PP). These plastics are also used to make bottles for other types of liquids, such as juice and milk.
Whether a product is packaged in a glass or plastic bottle, the label must be securely attached to the bottle and the contents are properly sealed. Depending on the type of plastic, this may be done with adhesive or by a process called in-mould labeling, in which the label is built into the bottle during the manufacturing process. In-mould labels are generally considered to be more reliable than adhesive ones, but it is possible for both methods of attachment to fail. This can be particularly problematic when the label has a very narrow neck, as is often the case with ketchup bottles.
