12.05.2026

PET Bottles with a Velvety HDPE Feel: Velvet PET Masterbatches for the ISBM Process

The velvety-soft feel of HDPE combined with the processing and sutainability benefits of PET and the ISBM process - ideal for single-material strategies.

Colour attracts the eye and encourages people to reach out. The texture and feel of a product often triggers the final purchase decision. With Velvet PET from the Lifocolor PET Solutions Series, packaging designers and plastics processors now have access to a tailor-made masterbatch that gives PET bottles the soft, velvety premium feel of HDPE whilst taking full advantage of the PET-ISBM process for material changeovers.

For brands that want more than just functionality, and packaging that you won't want to put away.

Feel & Appearance: Look & Feel HDPE with PET Performance

When you pick up some bottles, you can tell straight away: this is something special. What sets Velvet PET apart is a combination that has not existed beofre: the characteristics soft-matte tactility and premium quality of an HDPE bottle - realised in PET using the ISBM process (Injection Stretch Blow Moulding).

The result is a bottle product design that:

delivers a premium haptic experience, feeling just like a classic HDPE extrusion blow-moulded-bottle
convinces visually with the clarity, transparency and precision of PET
can easily be integrated into existing ISBM lines as a "drop-in-solution"

For brands in cosmetics, beauty & care, food or pharma that rely on sensory product experiences, Velvet PET opens up a new dimension in packaging design.

Watch our short video to see the visible difference between the glossy, smooth PET bottles without the insert and the velvety-soft bottle with the VELVET PET insert, which coneys an even greater sense of quality and elegance.

Process Benefits & Cost-Effictiveness when Changing Materials

The PET-ISBM process offers a range of process advantages over conventional HDPE extrusion blow moulding (EBM) that go well beyond haptics:

Material savings (Down-gauging):
PET is mechanically stronger than PE - bottles can be produced with thinner walld without compromising stability.
Resource efficiency (net-shape process):
ISBM is a net-shape process with no flash. The material loss of up to 10 % and typically associated with EBM is eliminated entirely.
Lower rejection rates:
The injection-moulded bottle neck ensures precise, leak-tight finishes, less rework on the filling entirely.

In addition, PET currently offers competitive raw material pricing, making it an attractive proposition on the cost side as well.

Sustainability, PPWR Compliance & Single-Material Design

PET is one of the most widely recycled plastics in the world. The excellent availability of PET and rPET and a well-established sorting and recycling infrastructure make the polymers the preferred choice for brands that take their sustainability commitments seriously.

High rPET availability and recyclability:
High-quality rPET is readily available; it is the best-collected and most widely recycled material globally, and the existing infrastructure offers attractive incentives for single-material strategies
PPWR compliance:
PET can more easily meet the required recycled content targets and single-material requirements under the EU Packaging Directive than HDPE
High design flexibility:
Excellent colouring options ranging from transparent to translucent to opaque, with various effects possible

For brands considering a material switch from HDPE to PET in response to PPWR requirements, Velvet PET can be a compelling argument: the transition costs nothing in term of appearance or feel - and gains a great deal.

Processing & Technical Properties

Velvet PET masterbatches from the Lifocolor PET Solutions series are specifically developed for the ISBM process.

Tailor-made formulations are individually matched to:

Polymer and material system (PET, rPET)
Processing method and machine parameters
optical requirements: haptic effect, opacity, colour
approved for food contact applications

Upon request, Velvet PET can also be developed for specific requirements in pharmaceutical and medical packaging.

Velvet PET Key Benefits at a Glance:

velvety-soft, premium HDPE feel and appearance for PET bottles
retains all economical process advantages of the ISBM process
supports PPWR compliance and sustainibility targets
bespoke Masterbatch for individual colour and effect requirements
approved for food contact
suitable for cosmetics & personal care, food, pharmaceutica/medical
developed for the ISBM process

Request Samples & Discuss Your Project

Would you like to combine the premium feel of HDPE with the process and sustainibility advantages of PET? We are happy to advise you on suitable Velvet PET masterbatch solutions for you application and material.

Further links and information