Is PETG Food Safe?

A common material choice in the custom plastic extrusion industry, PETG plastic is found in a wide range of useful products – especially food and beverage packaging. But how do you determine the answer to the question is PETG food safe for these consumer products?

As an industry professional, Inplex is well-versed in all the materials we offer for standard or custom plastic extrusion. Of course, this wealth of knowledge includes PETG plastic as well.

We understand how important using the right chemical components is for plastic extrusions, and being knowledgeable of PETG material isn’t any different. In this blog, we’ll run through all you need to know about PETG plastic, PETG pros and cons, and determine is PETG food safe.

What Is PETG Plastic?

To begin, let’s make sure you understand PETG down to its foundation. PETG, or Polyethylene terephthalate glycol, is a type of plastic often found in manufacturing. Quite a mouthful to say, it is more commonly known as PETG plastic.

The first part, polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is the plastic component typically found in plastic bottles and food product packaging. The glycol (G) is added to the plastic at a molecular level to make it durable, strong, and resistant to high temperatures.

Aside from these benefits, PETG also provides users with exceptional formability, ensuring that it can be vacuum-processed, pressure-formed, and heat-bent easily.

PETG can also withstand fabrication techniques, including routing, die cutting, and bending, making it a versatile option. This makes PETG plastic an excellent choice for manufacturers such as Inplex, a company that creates custom plastic extrusion and tubing to fit your food packaging designs.

Why Is PETG Popular?

PETG plastic has risen in popularity lately due to its high durability, impact resistance, and versatility. It offers layer adhesion and a decreased shrinkage rate compared to other similar plastics. Why PETG material is popular will depend on whom you ask, but overall, some of the top benefits are that it is:

1. PETG is Cost-effective

Due to its versatility, and durable chemical makeup, PETG plastic offers a cost-effective solution for standard or custom plastic extrusion designs. Products can last longer, and be used in more ways, all allowing you to save more money in the process.

2. Recyclable Plastic

Plastic is harmful to the environment due to its inability to decompose. PETG offers an eco-friendly solution to that problem. While not fully biodegradable, it is easier to break down the plastic components and therefore provides a simple plastic solution since it can be recycled!

3. PETG is Food-safe

PETG plastic is an FDA-compliant plastic for food, beverage, and medical packaging. This makes it legal to use for a wide variety of products, as well as proving its safety around food products.

4. Create Custom Colors for Food Packaging

PETG plastic can be fun! By being easy to introduce color, PETG plastic allows for unique design advantages without losing functionality. Inplex offers various materials and resin to make your PETG plastic project whatever custom color you need.

5. Non-toxic and Odorless

PETG is commonly used due to the fact that it doesn’t produce harmful toxins or foul odors. This allows PETG to be safe for consumer use. As PETG is non-toxic it is a favorite material for the plastic extrusion industry.

PETG Plastic Is Safe To Use

While PETG plastic has many advantages, due to it being plastic, people are still hesitant to use it. While PETG has pros and cons, the main question that many consumers and clients wonder is, “Is PETG food safe?”

As just discussed PETG material, unlike other popular plastics, is known for its non-toxic and odorless emission. With that in mind, PETG fumes are safe to breathe, so it’s safe to use in 3D printers indoors and is also safe to use in food containers and beverage bottles.

Some brands have even received a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) stamp of approval. However, each brand must do its part to receive its own FDA approval, and you should check any safety sheets to learn and understand more about the brand you’re using.

Additionally, PETG plastic can even be easily sterilized, which contributes to its safety. As an industry leader, Inplx would never suggest a plastic we didn’t have years of experience with. Understanding more about the top benefits of PETG plastic will help you determine if this is the right plastic for your custom extrusion project.

Why You Should Choose PETG vs. Other Plastics

The filament world is strongly dominated by polylactic acid (PLA) plastic, but PETG material is quickly gaining popularity, and many have decided that PETG is the better option.

Although PLA is affordable, readily available, and easy to work with, it also provides less durability, is susceptible to breaking, is not moisture-resistant, and is unsafe to use with food products or beverages. Thus, while PLA is an excellent plastic to use for prototypes, PETG offers more industrial uses.

Of course, you have ABS, PMMA, and polycarbonate plastics, too. ABS, or acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, is a more significant competitor than PLA, primarily due to its robust durability, similar to PETG’s. However, when compared to PETG pros and cons, ABS emits harmful fumes and is more susceptible to warping.

PMMA, or polymethyl methacrylate, is more susceptible to breaking and is not resistant to impact. Finally, though polycarbonate has impressive impact durability, it is more costly than PETG plastic and requires working with high temperatures.

All in all, the clear winner is PETG. It provides durability at an affordable price and is even cleared as safe to use by the FDA, allowing usage in food and beverage products and more. So is PETG food safe? The answer is 100% yes!

What Industries Can Benefit from PETG Material?

Due to its numerous positive benefits, PETG is an adaptable plastic option. Used in various industries, from medical to common day goods, you can find PETG plastic examples in your everyday life. For example, you can find PETG in:

• Food and beverage containers: PETG is BPA-free and is naturally transparent, so it is often used to manufacture food containers and beverage bottles, such as food storage containers, water bottles, and plastic cups. It’s even used in baby food containers and bottles. Plus, it’s highly recyclable plastic, so it’s a popular choice among environmentalists.
• Consumer products: Consumer products are also usually packaged in PETG. These products include cosmetics, detergents, and soaps. Two companies that use PETG plastic in their manufacturing are Colgate-Palmolive and Procter & Gamble.
• Textiles: PETG can even be used to manufacture polyester fabrics. Both new and recycled forms can be used, and the products can range from dog beds to sleeping bags and fleece jackets.
• Dentistry: The orthodontics industry has also begun using PETG plastic in its products. Well-known brands that have used PETG plastic to make dental aligners include Smile-Direct Club and Invisalign.
• Medical: PETG plastic material, due to its durability, transparency, and the fact that it can be sterilized, can often be found in medical equipment packaging. It is also used to create prosthetics and implants.
• Displays: PETG plastic can be easily formed and colored to fit a certain aesthetic, making it a popular choice to use for creating display stands, such as jewelry stands and storefront signs, or custom point-of-purchase displays.
• Other uses: Thanks to its robust nature against heat and chemicals, PETG is also a popular choice for manufacturing engineers and machinists to create specific parts, including testing components, protective guards, and manufacturing aids and tools.

While clearly there are many different ways to use PETG plastic, new designs are being created all the time. If you don’t see the PETG design that suits your needs, Inplex is proud to offer custom-designed plastic extrusions for PETG plastic.

Let Inplex Provide Expert Custom Plastic Extrusions for PETG Material and More

With its high durability, resistance to heat and chemicals, and the fact that it’s considered food safe (non-toxic and odorless), it is easy to see why PETG plastic has risen in popularity. It’s also an affordable option, easily accessible, and comes with several benefits compared to its competitors.

Whatever your mission with plastic, PETG is a great choice, and Inplex is happy to supply it with quality assurance.

Inplex has manufactured endless amounts of consumer plastic products. By working with an experienced custom extruder, you will receive expert knowledge and assistance throughout the whole manufacturing process.

Inplex’s experienced team of plastics experts and engineers has the knowledge and skill in designing customized multi-purpose plastic consumer goods. Inplex uses its expertise to design custom plastic profiles, plastic tubing, and a wide variety of other custom plastic extrusion products.

Whether you need custom PETG plastic components for consumer products or need assistance choosing a different material, Inplex is happy to help. Get in touch with us today to request a quote for your custom or standard PETG plastic project.