The use of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) within the beverage
market slightly preceeded that of PET but without obtaining the same success.
The bottles may be created by using two different types of technology:
extrusion-blowing or
extrusion-stretch-blowing (bioriented bottle).
Although it maintains some positive characteristics of PET such as
transparency and lightness, PVC has significant disadvantages, for example: it
is not unbreakable and has a low barrier against carbon dioxide. PVC is not
exempt from concerns in terms of safety since the monomer from which the
polymer derives can lead to cancer. This has determined a gradual withdrawal of
this material for the production of bottles within the bottling industry.