For years the assumption was simple: if it fizzes, it goes in aluminum. That rule is breaking in 2026. Transparent PET cans now hold internal pressure up to 90 PSI, which puts sparkling water, soda, and even lightly carbonated functional drinks squarely on the menu for a clear can.
Why pressure was the old blocker
Carbonation is just dissolved CO2 pushing outward. A weak wall lets that pressure win — the can balloons, the seam leaks, and the drink goes flat before it reaches a customer. Aluminum answered this with thick sidewalls and a crimped double seam. PET answered it with resin grade, wall thickness, and a properly rolled seam at the can body.
At our plant we run food-grade PET preforms selected for top-load and burst strength, then hold the finished can to a verified pressure ceiling before it leaves the line. For most sparkling SKUs that means a comfortable margin under the 90 PSI threshold, so a can that survives our QC survives a hot warehouse and a bumpy container ride.
What this unlocks for brands
- Visibility for fizzy products. Sparkling fruit drinks and clear sodas finally get the “see the bubbles” shelf appeal that aluminum can’t offer.
- Lighter freight. A 330ml PET can weighs under 29g versus roughly 200g for glass — about a 7x difference that cuts shipping cost 40–70% versus glass.
- No breakage. PET loses under one-tenth of one percent in transit. Glass loses 3–5%.
The global PET beverage packaging market was valued at $79.62 billion in 2026 and is projected to reach $103.68 billion by 2031 at a 5.56% CAGR. Carbonated formats are a big part of that growth because the material finally keeps up with the fizz.
The sealing half of the equation
Pressure rating is only as good as the lid. Our aluminum easy-open ends are double-seam rolled to a spec we hold for shelf life — see our guide on how our double-seam sealing works. If you are formulating a sparkling SKU, tell us the target CO2 volume and we will size the wall and seam to match.
Browse our beverage cans or talk to our team about a carbonated sample run. We run 5,000-unit trials up to full-container export orders, FDA-compliant and food-grade.
