What Is the MOQ for Custom Plastic Bottles?
1,000 pcs per colour on an existing mould. A new bottle mould costs about USD 850 and takes 15–20 days; spray coating and metallising start at 3,000 pcs; soft tubes at 3,000; printed pouches at 10,000.
How the Number Is Calculated
Changeover Time
Purging the machine and checking the shade takes the same time at 500 pcs as at 5,000, so below 1,000 it dominates the unit price.
Decoration Floors
Silkscreen plates are a one-off at 1,000; spray coat and metallising need 3,000 because the line set-up is heavier.
Material Minimums
Resin is bought in 25 kg bags and colour masterbatch in batches; the MOQ is set where a clean run is possible.
The Number by Product Type
Bottles, jars and airless packs: 1,000 pcs per colour, per size. Spray coat, hot stamp and metallising: 3,000 pcs because the set-up is the cost. Soft tubes: 3,000 pcs per design. Printed stand-up pouches: 10,000 pcs, because each colour needs a rotogravure cylinder.
Closures ordered on their own follow the same rule: 1,000 pcs per type, and mixed closures within one neck size can share a carton.
What Happens Below the MOQ
Two options. Order a stock colour of a stock mould and print your label, which can run from a few hundred pieces with a digital label. Or accept that a custom colour needs a minimum batch: the machine has to run a full changeover either way, so the price per piece rises steeply under 1,000.
Alternatively we have sold 500 pcs on a stock mould when the customer accepts a stock colour. It is an exception, not a rule, and it is quoted per case.
Tooling, if the Shape Is New
With 3,000+ moulds on the shelf, most briefs match an existing shape. When they do not, a new blow mould is about USD 850 and 15–20 days, and it belongs to the customer — we do not re-use a customer's mould for anyone else.
Injection moulds for a new closure are a separate cost and are quoted after the closure design is fixed.
Why the MOQ Is per Colour
A colour change means purging the machine, checking the shade against a standard, and scrapping the transition material. That run is the same whether you order 1,000 or 20,000, so the 1,000 minimum is the point where the changeover stops dominating the unit price.
Where the 1,000 Comes From
It is the point at which a stock mould run is worth loading. Below that the set-up time per piece climbs and the factory loses money — which is why a 500-piece request is usually answered with a stock colour rather than a colour match.
Decoration has its own floor: silkscreen at 1,000, spray coat and metallising at 3,000. A mixed order carries the minimum for each colour, not for the order.
Frequently Asked
What is the minimum order for custom plastic bottles?
1,000 pcs per colour on an existing mould; 3,000 for spray coat or a soft tube; 10,000 for a printed pouch.
How much does a new bottle mould cost?
About USD 850 for a blow mould, with 15–20 days for tooling. The mould belongs to the customer.
Can I order 500 pieces?
Only on a stock mould in a stock colour, quoted case by case. A custom colour starts at 1,000.
Can I mix colours in one order?
Yes, but each colour carries the 1,000-piece minimum.
What if I only need 300?
Stock colours from inventory, or a stock shape with a label rather than a print.
Still Deciding?
Send the capacity, neck and quantity — we come back with a price, packing data and lead time within one business day.