Plastic soft drink bottles

Plastic coke bottles appeared in Malaysia in the 1980s. This was one material that was made to suit a need. Wyeth wondered aloud why carbonated soft drinks weren't bottled in plastic bottles. Apparently, plastic containers of the time weren't strong enough to contain pressurised liquids.

So Wyeth developed PET. Its recyclable qualities were accidental but has made it one of the most environmental-friendly plastics around.

Thanks to Wyeth's invention, glass coke bottles are now vintage collectibles. It also made way for soft drinks to be packed in larger quantities, like the 1.5L pack.