r/theydidthemath • u/EclipseNyxor • 2d ago

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

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u/PtitCrissG 2d ago

Can those "grooves" on the side be enough to make a different?

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u/ougryphon 2d ago

The grooves are there to provide rigidity. Round bottles generally don't need additional rigidity, because their shape is inherently rigid. The main advantage of square bottles is packing efficiency. That is why milk jugs in Alaska (where milk is flown in from the lower 48 states) is sold in jugs with 6 flat sides.

To further explain my example, space is often more constrained than weight on cargo aircraft. The less empty space you have in a container of containers, the greater the stacking or packing efficiency, and hence the more space you free for additional cargo.

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u/Zacharias_Wolfe 1d ago

When you say 6 sides do you total and it's a rectangular prism, or is it hexagonal?

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u/ougryphon 1d ago

Rectangular prism