Sidel installs peroxide-resistant PET bottle system for Italy’s Farmavita

ITALY – Sidel has equipped Italian hair care manufacturer Farmavita with an EvoBlow stretch-blow-moulding system to enable in-house production of PET bottles designed to withstand hydrogen peroxide-based formulations.

The investment supports Farmavita’s transition from traditional HDPE packaging to PET, aligning with its sustainability and brand positioning strategy while addressing technical challenges linked to peroxide-containing products.

“Our goal was to implement PET across products traditionally packaged in HDPE, paving the way for more sustainable solutions,” said Manuel Ferrarotti, Chief Operating Officer at Farmavita.

Hydrogen peroxide, commonly used in hair colouring and treatment solutions, can become volatile under certain transport and storage conditions.

This may increase internal pressure and lead to deformation, particularly at the base of standard HDPE bottles. For a premium cosmetics brand, such deformation can undermine both product integrity and shelf appeal.

To address this, Sidel developed a structured PET bottle base engineered to reduce collapse and deformation, improving stability during filling, distribution and retail display.

Prior to installation, Sidel conducted dedicated packaging process trials at its Packaging Excellence Centre in France to optimise blowing parameters and material distribution.

“By partnering with Sidel, we were able to create a bespoke solution that addressed our coloured PET and material distribution requirements, resulting in a much higher quality bottle with an elevated look and feel,” Ferrarotti added.

Farmavita selected Sidel’s EvoBlow regular SBO 6 platform, with an output of 7,200 1-litre bottles per hour.

The system features two additional heating modules in the oven to extend preform heating time while operating at lower temperatures.

This is particularly important for preforms containing titanium dioxide (TiO2), used as a white colourant, which requires longer heating to ensure optimal stretch and material distribution.

According to Sidel, the extended heating configuration reduces ventilation requirements, contributing to a 10% reduction in energy consumption. The oven is also equipped with an Air Recovery system, cutting air usage by up to 30%.

Despite the additional modules, the machine layout was optimized with a compact, customized preform feeder, enabling installation within limited plant space.

The infeed rail was also adapted to accommodate the small preform neck ring required for the format.

Beyond performance, the shift to PET supports lower blowing temperatures and improved energy efficiency. By bringing blow-moulding in-house, Farmavita expects to streamline logistics, reduce packaging storage needs and cut transport-related emissions.

Looking ahead, the company is evaluating additional formats, including 100 mL bottles, to further consolidate production internally and reduce reliance on external converters, reflecting a broader industry trend toward vertically integrated, energy-efficient packaging operations in the personal care sector.

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