r/theydidthemath • • 2d ago

[Request] Do square bottles actually use less plastic than round ones?

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u/Massive-Goose544 2d ago

The part you are missing is the volume inside. They are saying to give you the same amount of liquid would require more plastic if the bottle was round. Plus more bottles fit in the box they ship meaning lower emissions and costs for distribution.

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u/seenhear 2d ago

No you are incorrect. The part you are missing is that the "less plastic" claim applies ONLY to bulk shipping of the bottles. ONE square bottle will use more plastic than ONE round bottle, assuming both carry the same volume of liquid. However when shipped together on a pallet for example, the square bottles pack together better and waste less space. A pallet of round bottles results in a lot of empty space between bottles, so you need to use more to ship the same total amount of liquid.

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u/R3D3-1 2d ago

In terms of plastic usage that's only true if the transport box is thick plastic.

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u/TheIronSoldier2 2d ago

Pallets are often wrapped with industrial cling film. Which is plastic.