A bottle is a narrow-necked container made of an impermeable material in various shapes and sizes used to store or transport liquids. Bottles are usually made of glass or plastic. Bottles have many uses, including storing beverages, food, motor oil, medicine, shampoo, milk, and ink. They can be sealed with an internal stopper, an external bottle cap, or a closure.
The Message in a Bottle
A message in a bottle is a fun and exciting way to send a note or letter out into the world. People have been writing messages and sealing them in bottles for thousands of years. Throughout history, people have even sent messages in bottles to famous people. Students will enjoy learning about these fascinating stories and will be excited to make their own message in a bottle!
Historically, the word “boodle” has referred to ill-gotten money, such as the proceeds of a robbery or counterfeit cash. But recently, it’s taken on a different meaning. In a recent survey by market research company Mintel, packaging was listed as the 9th most important attribute in consumers choosing what to drink from a bottle of water. This suggests that while reducing container (as opposed to product) waste is an important goal, it has little impact on beverage purchase intent.
There are several techniques to manufacture a plastic bottle, but the most common is injection blow molding. The process starts with plastic pellets that are melted by heat and shearing action of a feed screw. The molten plastic is then injected into multiple cavity molds to form the bottle shape. The molds may include a neck to be capped later, and threads for the caps to create a seal. This is known as a pre-form.
Once the plastic is formed into a bottle, it’s cooled and trimmed to remove excess. Bottles are also sanitized and sterilized to ensure they’re ready for use.
In most cases, the bottles in a series will be recycled after they’ve been used for their original purpose. However, the bottles that aren’t used for their intended purpose are a major problem for our oceans and ecosystems. In fact, each year about 8.8 million tons of plastic gets dumped into the oceans. This pollution compromises the lives of animals that ingest the plastic or become entangled in it.
When a television series produces a bottle episode, it’s often because there is an event or task that must be completed within the confines of a single setting. This can be a great way to apply pressure to characters, calcify running themes and show off the creativity of the writers. The most successful bottle episodes allow the characters to be pushed to their limits in order to achieve their goal, and they always leave us wanting more.
