Materials & compliance
What is the best plastic for thermoforming?
Short answer
For clear food and produce packaging, PET (APET or rPET) is the usual best choice: it forms well, is food-safe, stiff and widely recycled. PETG suits deep or detailed shapes, PVC is long established for blisters and cards, and PP is chosen for heat resistance. AVI extrudes APET, PETG, rPET and PVC sheet and thermoforms its own rPET packs.
Part of the guides: Pack types explained: punnets, clamshells, trays and more and PET and rPET: the material guide
- Food & produceAPET / rPET
- Deep drawsPETG
- Blisters, cardsPVC
AVI's thermoforming sheet
- APET Sheets for Thermoforming, Printing & PackagingAVI Global Plast produces high-quality APET sheets for thermoforming, blister and box packaging. Customisable...
- PETG Sheets for Thermoforming & Medical PackagingHigh-performance PETG sheets with crystal clarity, durability, and easy formability for thermoforming applications...
- rPET Sheets for Thermoforming, Printing & PackagingrPET sheet from AVI Global Plast — 30% to 100% recycled content, 150–1,300 micron range, EN 15343 certified for...
- PVC Film Manufacturer — AVI Blis, Form, Print, Box, Lam & Card6 PVC film grades from AVI Global Plast — AVI Blis, Box, Form, Lam, Print and Card — 10,000 TPA capacity for pharma,...
Compared
| Plastic | Strengths | Typical thermoformed use |
|---|---|---|
| APET / rPET | Clear, stiff, food-safe, widely recycled | Punnets, clamshells, trays, blisters |
| PETG | Tough, forms deep detail | Medical trays, deep packs |
| PVC | Forms and seals easily | Pharma blisters, cards, retail |
| PP | Heat-resistant, flexible | Microwave trays, hinged food boxes |
| PS / HIPS | Low cost, easy to form | Disposable cups, opaque trays |
| CPET | Ovenable | Ready-meal trays |
How to choose
Start from the product and its temperature (chilled, ambient or heated), whether shoppers need to see it, the recycling expectations of your market, and your forming line. For most fresh-produce and food packs that points to PET, and increasingly to rPET with documented recycled content.
Related questions
Why is PP harder to thermoform?
Polypropylene softens over a narrow temperature range and sags quickly once hot, so it needs tighter heating control than PET. It forms well on lines set up for it.
What thickness of sheet is used?
Food packs are usually formed from sheet a few hundred microns thick; the exact gauge depends on pack size, draw depth and load.