PET, HDPE and PP bottles compared

In short

• PET (recycling code 1): clear like glass, rigid and light. The usual choice for toner, liquid soap, oils and drinks, when the contents should show.
• HDPE (code 2): opaque or milky white, slightly flexible and resistant to many chemicals. The usual choice for detergent, floor cleaner, bleach and shampoo.
• PP (code 5): translucent to opaque, rigid, and the most heat-resistant of the three. Used for hot-filled products, caps, flip tops and jars.

Comparison table

Property	PET	HDPE	PP
Recycling code	1	2	5
Look	Clear, glossy	Opaque, milky white	Translucent to opaque
In the hand	Rigid	Flexible, easy to squeeze	Rigid, slightly flexible
Chemical resistance	Good for most cosmetics and food; weak against strong alkali	Very good, including detergent and bleach	Very good, including acids, alkalis and alcohol
Heat resistance	Low: not for hot filling	Medium	High: can be hot-filled
Oxygen barrier	Good	Low	Low
Moisture barrier	Medium	Good	Good

Choose by what goes inside

Product	Usual material	Why
Toner, micellar water, hand soap	PET	Clear, the contents show
Shampoo, body wash, lotion	PET or HDPE	HDPE squeezes out to the last drop
Detergent, fabric softener, floor cleaner, bleach	HDPE	Chemical-resistant; jerrycans too
Cooking oil, hair oil	PET	Clear; keeps oxygen out better than HDPE and PP
Sauces, syrups or anything filled hot	PP	Keeps its shape when filled hot
Serums with active ingredients	Amber glass or an airless bottle	Shields actives from light and air
Essential oils	Amber glass	Essential oils can soften PS plastic and seep through HDPE

Before you order

• Test with your product. Fill a few sample bottles, keep them for two to four weeks at room temperature and somewhere warm, then check for leaks, bottles that cave in or swell, and changes in colour or scent.
• Detergent and soap in HDPE. Liquids with surfactants can make HDPE bottles crack where they are under stress. Ask for a stress-crack-resistant (ESCR) resin and test with filled, capped bottles.
• Match the neck size. A code such as 24/410 means a 24 mm thread diameter with a 410 thread style (1.5 turns). The pump, sprayer or cap must carry exactly the same code as the bottle; a cap with another code may screw on but not seal.
• Colour protects too. White, amber or opaque bottles let in less light, which matters for active ingredients and fragrances that light can spoil.
• Minimum order through MaklonGo is 2,500 pcs for imported packaging and 100 pcs from local suppliers; when the factory’s minimum is higher, that one applies.

In the catalogue

• PET bottles, HDPE bottles and PP bottles.
• Jerrycans and gallons for detergents and cleaning liquids in bulk.
• Pumps and sprayers and caps that fit the bottle’s neck.