Sonoco Plastics, Hartsville, S.C., a division of Sonoco, won first place for its PET (polyethylene terephthalate) blow molded package for Planters Peanuts in the advanced food packaging applications category of the first annual Parts Competition at the Society of Plastics Engineers’ (SPE) 29th Annual Blow Molding Conference. The conference was held Oct. 8-9 in Atlanta.

"We are honored to win this inaugural award for our blow molded plastic bottle for Planters Peanuts," says Steve Gendreau , division vice president and general manager, Blow Molding. "This award clearly demonstrates Sonoco Plastics' commitment to satisfy our customers with innovative and sustainable solutions that meet their needs."

The award-winning package is a blow molded plastic jar for Planters Peanuts, which replaced the brand's 16- and 20-oz. glass jars. The durable, lightweight plastic option meets all of Planters' performance targets for capacity, clarity and shelf life, but weighs 84% less than the original packaging. Additionally, the Planters plastic peanut packaging is 100% recyclable and contains no bisphenol A (BPA).