DEAS 1080: 2021  
ICS 83.080.01  
 
© EAC 2021                                                                                                                              First Edition 2021   
 EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  
Plastic bucket  — Specification  
EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY  DEAS 1080: 2021  
ii © EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  
 Copyright notice  
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participants in the EAC standards development process is permitted wit hout prior permission from EAC, 
neither this document nor any extract from it may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form for 
any other purpose without prior written permission from EAC.  
Requests for permission to reproduce this document for the p urpose of selling it should be addressed 
as shown below or to EAC’s member body in the country of the requester:  
© East African Community 2021  — All rights reserved  
East African Community   
P.O. Box 1096 , 
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Tanzania  
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Reproduction for sales purposes may be subject to royalty payments or a licensing agreement.  
Violators may be prosecuted . DEAS 1080: 2021  
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  iii 
 Contents  Page 
Foreword  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  iv 
1 Scope  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  1 
2 Normative references: ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  1 
3 Terms and definitions  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  1 
4 Requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  2 
4.1 General requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4.1.1  Material  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...................  2 
4.1.2  Finishing  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  2 
4.1.3 Handle  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .....................  2 
4.1.4  Workmanship  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  2 
4.1.5  Mass  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........................  2 
4.2 Specific requirements  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  2 
4.5 Overload test  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..........  3 
4.6 Brimful capacity  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ..... 3 
5 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  3 
6 Marking and labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  3 
6.1 Marking on plastic bucket  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  3 
6.2 Labelling of bulk package  ................................ ................................ ................................ ....................  3 
7 Sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  4 
Annex  A (normative)  Reversion test  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
A.1 Specimen  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  5 
A.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  5 
Annex  B (Normative)  Splitting test  ................................ ................................ ................................ ..................  6 
B.1 Specimen  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ................  6 
B.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  6 
Annex  C (Normative)  Distortion test  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  7 
C.1 Outline of the method  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  7 
C.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  7 
Annex  D (normative)  Test for brimful capacity  ................................ ................................ ..............................  8 
D.1 Apparatus  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  8 
D.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  8 
D.3 Result  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  8 
Annex  E (normative)  Overload test  ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  9 
E.1 Outline of the method  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  9 
E.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  9 
Annex  F (normative)  Sampling Criteria  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........  10 
F.1 Scale of sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  10 
F.2 Number of tests and criteria for conformity  ................................ ................................ .....................  10 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  11 
 DEAS 1080: 2021  
iv © EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Development of the East African Standards has been necessitated by the need for harmonizing requirements 
governing quality of products and services in the East African Community. It is envisaged that through 
harmonized standardization, trade barriers that a re encountered when goods and services are exchanged 
within the Community will be removed.  
The Community has established an East African Standards Committee  (EASC)  mandated to develop and 
issue East African Standards  (EAS) . The Committee is composed of re presentatives of the National 
Standards Bodies in Partner States, together with the representatives from the public and private sector 
organizations  in the community .  
East African Standards are developed through  Technical Committees that are representativ e of key 
stakeholders including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties. 
Draft East African Standards are circulated to stakeholders through the National Standards Bodies in the 
Partner States. The comments receiv ed are discussed and incorporated before finalization of standards, in 
accordance with the Principles and procedures for development of East African Standards. XXXXXX.  
East African Standards are subject to review, to keep pace with technological advances. Users of the East 
African Standards are therefore expected to ensure that they always have the latest versions of the standards 
they are implementing .  
The committee responsible  for this document is Technical Committee EASC/TC 072, Plastics and related 
products  
 DRAFT EAST AFRICAN STANDARD  DEAS 1080: 2021  
 
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  1 
 Plastic bucket — Specification  
1 Scope   
This Draft East African  Standard specifies requirements, sampling an d test methods for plastic buckets  for 
general purpose use.  
This standard does not apply to plastic buckets intended for food handling.  
2 Normative references:  
There are no normative references in this document.  
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes  of this docume nt, the following terms and definitions apply . 
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the f ollowing addresses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
3.1  
nominal capacity  
volume of liquid which a container should hold when filled to the specified filling level at the specified 
temperature  
3.2  
brimful capacity  
volume of water required to fill a container, placed on a flat, horizontal surface  
3.3  
sprue  
excess material protruding from the outer base of the bucket where the mould was channelled  
3.4  
reversion  
reduction on length expressed as a percentage of the initia l length of the specimen  
3.5  
splitting  
response of the test specimen to heat eviden ced by breaking into  pieces, in whole or in part  
3.6  
distortion  
any change in the shape or original dimensions of a test  piece, occurring during heat treatment   DEAS 1080: 2021  
2 © EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  
 4 Requirem ents 
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1  Material  
Buckets shall be made from suitable plastic material s.  
4.1.2  Finishing  
The plastic bucket shall have a smooth finish in appearance and feel, without any blemishes, moulding flash 
and sprue.  
4.1.3  Handle  
4.1.3.1  The plastic bucket handle shall be made of suitable rigid and corrosion resistant material.  
4.1.3.2  The plastic bucket handle  shall be so constructed and attached that it shall  provide adequate grip  
and shall not be injurious to the user . 
4.1.4  Workmansh ip 
4.1.4.1 To protect the base of  the plastic bucket from abrasion, it shall be so suppo rted that at 90°, when 
filled with water  at 60 ˚C, it’s under surface excluding the ribs, shall be  at least 5 mm above the pla ne surface 
on which it is placed.  
4.1.4.2  For buckets with lids, the lid shall be fitting and shall be of the same material as the bucket. For 
plastic buckets with no lids this requirement is not applicabl e. 
4.1.4. 3 The rim shall be  reinforced to prevent ovaling  
4.1.4. 4 The walls of plastic bucket  shall meet the bottom of the bucket with a curved surface to prevent 
dirt accumulation and facilitate cleaning.  
4.1.5  Mass  
The m inimum  mass of bucket shall be as agreed to, by the purchaser and the supplier  
4.2 Specific requirements  
The p lastic bucket sha ll comply with  the specific requirements given in Table 1  when tested in accordance 
with the test methods specified  therein . 
Table 1 — Specific requirements for plastic bucket  
Characteristic  Requirement  Test method  
Reversion, %, max . 5 Annex A  
Splitting,  mm, max . 2 Annex B  
4.3 Distortion test  
The plastic bucket shall comply with the following requirements when tested in accordance with Annex C:  
a) The maximum increase in diameter of the top, at right angles to the handle shall be 5 % of initial 
diameter; an d                    DEAS 1080: 2021  
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  3 
 b) The maximum increase in depth from the rim to the bottom of plastic bucket shall be 3 % of initial 
depth.  
4.4 Drop test  
The plastic bucket filled with water to its nominal capacity shall withstand three falls when dropped vertically 
on a flat concrete su rface from a height of 1.5 m.  
4.5 Overload test  
When tested in accordance with Annex E, no part of the plastic bucket or handle shall break, and the handle 
shall not become detached from the bucket.   
4.6 Brimful capacity  
When tested in acc ordance  with Ann ex D, the brimful capacity shall be 5  % greater than the nominal capacity . 
5 Packaging  
The p lastic bucket shall  be packed as agreed to between the purchaser and the supplier.  
6 Marking and labelling  
6.1 Marking  on plastic bucket  
The plastic bucket shall b e legibly and indelibly marked  in English and/or any other official language (French, 
Kiswahili, etc.) used in the importing East African Partner State with the following information.  
a) nominal capacity in litres;  
b) code of resin identification and symbol for recycling in ac cordance with DEAS 1086: 2021 (Code of 
resin identification) ; 
c) name of the manufacturer and/or tradem ark; 
d) batch or code number ; and  
e) country of origin  
6.2 Labelling of bulk package  
6.2.1 The bulk package shall contain plastic buckets of the sa me size . 
6.2.2 The bulk package shall be legibly and indelibly labelled in English and/or any other official language 
(French, Kiswahili, etc.) used in the importing East African Partner State with the following information : 
a) name and physical address of manufacturer and/or registered trade mark;  
b) name of the product as, “Plastic buckets”;  
c) capacity of the plastic buckets in litres of water , for example , 5 L, 10  L, 15  L; 
d) declaration of the number of plastic buckets in the bulk package;  DEAS 1080: 2021  
4 © EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  
 e) batch or code number;  
f) instruction for storage and disposal of the bulk packaging material; and  
g) country of origin.  
7 Sampling  
Representative samples of plastic buckets shall be drawn and conformity of the material to  the requirements 
of this  standard  shall be decided according to t he pr ocedure given in Annex F .                    DEAS 1080: 2021  
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  5 
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Reversion test  
A.1 Specimen   
A specimen of dimension 50 mm x 2.5 mm, is cut from the side of the bucket such that its main axis is radial 
to the sprue. Five specimens from separate position of the side ar e examined in each case.  
A.2 Procedure  
The specimens are measured accurately and then immersed in boiling water for 30 min. On removal, they are 
allowed to cool for 1 h, after which the length is measured again to the nearest 0.5 mm.  
 DEAS 1080: 2021  
6 © EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  
 Annex  B 
(Normative ) 
 
Splitting test  
B.1 Specimen  
The specimen consists of a disk of 75 mm diameter with the sprue at its centre , cut from the base of the 
bucket. A slit 38 mm ± 1.5 mm long is made in the specimen so that its mid-point lies on the centre of the 
circular specimen and extends through its thickness. This slit may conveniently be cut out with a single edged 
razor blade.  
B.2 Procedure  
The specimen is immersed in boiling water for 30 min. On removal from the water bath, the specimen is 
allowed to cool with no applied constraint. The maximum distance between the edges of the slit is measured 
and recorded . 
                    DEAS 1080: 2021  
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  7 
 Annex  C 
(Normative)  
 
Distortion test  
C.1 Outline of the method  
The distortion  test is carried out by hanging a plastic bucket filled with water at 60 °C and then determining the 
increase in diameter and depth of the bucket.  
C.2 Procedure  
C.2.1  Suspend the plastic bucket by its handle at the centre from a double hook , the arms of which are 
approximately 75 mm apart (see Fig ure C.1).  For buckets with side handles, they shall be suspended between 
two horizontal parallel supports, with handles resting perpendicular to  the supports.  
C.2.2  Measure the diameter , d, of the top at right angles to handle (including spout, if any) and depth , h, 
from the rim to the bottom of the bucket.  
C.2.3  Pour  water at 60  °C until it is filled to a level of 25 mm from the rim. After 5 min , measure ‘d’ and ‘h’, 
and report the increase in dime nsions as percentage of the initial dimensions . 
 
Figure C.1 — Apparatus for the determination of distortion  DEAS 1080: 2021  
8 © EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  
 Annex  D 
(normative)  
 
Test for brimful  capacity  
D.1 Apparatus  
D.1.1 Rigid transparent plastic di sc with a slot (see Figure D.1) big enough to completely cover the neck of 
the bucket  
D.1.2 Weighing balance  to determine the mass of the container to accuracy of 1 g  
D.2 Procedure  
D.2.1 Weigh the plastic bucket and the rigid transparent plastic disc to a n accuracy of 1 g.  
D.2.2. Fill the plastic bucket with water to within approximately 3 mm of brim. The water used should be at 
ambient temperature or in case of dispute, at 27 ºC ± 2 ºC.  
D.2.3 Place the rigid transparent plastic disc on the neck face and top up by carefully pouring water through 
the slot until the water is seen just contacting the underside of the disc.  
D.2.4 Weig h the filled plastic bucket , together with the rigid transparent plastic disc.  
D.2.5 The difference in weightings  is the mass of the water recorded in grams. The results shall be 
expressed to the nearest millilitres.  
D.3 Result  
The mass of the water in grams or the volume of water measured is numerically equal to the brimful capacity 
of the container in millilitres.  
 
Figure  D.1 — Transparent plastic disc  
 
                   DEAS 1080: 2021  
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  9 
 Annex  E 
(normative)  
 
Overload test  
E.1 Outline of the method  
Overload test is carried out by hanging a bucket filled with a specified load for a speci fied period and then 
examining for any break or detachment of the handle.  
E.2 Procedure  
E.2.1  Suspend the plastic bucket as prescribed in C.2.1.  
E.2.2  Pour into the bucket lead shots or any other suitable material of a mass equal to twice that of the 
wate r required to fill the bucket.  
E.2.3  Examine the bucket or handle for any breakage or detachment of the handle from the bucket at either 
side after 30 min.  
 
 DEAS 1080: 2021  
10 © EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  
 Annex  F 
(normative)  
 
Sampling Criteria  
F.1 Scale of sampling  
F.1.1 In any consignment, all the buckets of the same size, same type and belonging to the same batch of 
manufacture shall be grouped together to constitute a lot.  
F.1.2 For ascertaining conformity of the material to the requirements of this standard , samples shall be 
tested from each lot separately.  
F.1.3 The number of buckets to be sampled from a lot shall depend upon the size of the lot and shall be in 
accordance with Table  F.1. 
Table F .1 — Scale of sampling and permissible number of defect ives 
Lot size  For finishing , handle, construction and 
brimful capacity  Number of buckets to  be 
selected for distortion, 
overload test  Subsample size for 
reversion, splitting 
and drop tests  Number of 
buckets to be 
selected  Permissible number 
of defectives  
≤ 50 5 0 3 3 
51 t0 100  8 0 5 3 
101 to 150  13 1 5 3 
151 to 300  20 2 8 3 
301 to 500  32 3 8 3 
501 to  1000  50 5 13 4 
≥ 1001  80 7 13 4 
 
F.2 Number of tests and criteria for conformity  
F.2.1 The bucket s selected shall be examined for finishing (see 4.1.2 ), handle (see 4.1.3) and workmanship 
(see 4.1.4) . A bucket failing to meet  any one or more of these require ments shall be considered as defective. 
The lot shall be considere d as conforming to the require ments of these characteristics , if the number of 
defective buckets in the sample is less than or equal to the co rresponding num ber given in column 3 of Table 
F.1. 
F.2.2 The lot having been fo und satisfactory according to F .2.1 shall be s ubjected to distortion test (see 
Annex C) and overload test (Annex E ). For this purpose, th e number of buckets given in column  4 of Table F.1 
shall be selected at random from the lot. These may be selected from those a lready examined according to 
F.2.1 and fo und satisfactory.  A bucket failing in any of these tests shall be co nsidered as defective. The lot 
shall be considered to have passed these tests if no defective bucket is found in the sample . 
G.2.3 The lot having been fo und satis factory according to F.2.1 and F .2.2 shall  finally be subjected to 
brimful, drop, reversion an d splitting tests.                     DEAS 1080: 2021  
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved  11 
 Bibliography  
[1] IS 2530: 1968, Methods of test for polyethylene moulding materials and polyethylene compounds  
[2] IS 3730: 1988, Specification for high density polyethylene bucket  
[3] TZS 1877 –1:2016 , Plastic container — Specification — Part 1: Bucket  
[4] US 2297:2021, Plastic bucket ─ Specification  
 DEAS 1080: 2021    
 
© EAC 2021  – All rights reserved