DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  
  DUS 2257  
First  Edition  
2020 -mm-dd 
 
 
 Reference number  
DUS 2257 : 2020  
© UNBS 2020   
  
Plastic Bucket  — Specification  
 DUS 2257 : 2020  
ii © UNBS 2020  – All rights reserved  
 Compliance with this standard does not, of itself confer immunity from legal obligations  
A Uganda Standard does not purport to include all necessary provisions of a contract. Users are 
responsible for its correct applicati on 
© UNBS 2020   
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilised in any 
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without prior written 
permission from UN BS. 
Requests for permission to reproduce this document should be addressed to  
The Executive Director  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards  
P.O. Box 6329  
Kampala  
Uganda  
Tel: +256 41 4 333 2 50/1/2/3  
Fax: +256 41 4 286 123  
E-mail: info@unbs.go.ug  
Web: www.unbs.go.ug  DUS 2257:  2020  
© UNBS 2020  – 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 
The material of the buckets shall be made of suitable food grade plastic 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  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........................  3 
4.3 Distortion test  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  3 
4.4 Drop test  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  3 
5 Packaging  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  3 
6 Labelling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .................  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 Meth od ................................ ................................ ................................ ............................  7 
C.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  7 
Annex  D (normative)  Test  for brimful capacity  ................................ ................................ .............................  9 
D.1 Apparatus  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  9 
D.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  9 
D.3 Result  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  9 
Annex  E (normative)  Ove rload test  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...............  10 
E.1 Outline of the method  ................................ ................................ ................................ .........................  10 
E.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  10 
Annex  F (normative)  Determination of colour bleeding  ................................ ................................ ..............  11 
F.1 Preparation of test specimens  ................................ ................................ ................................ ...........  11 
F.2 Procedure  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ .............  11 
Annex  G (normative)  Sampling method  ................................ ................................ ................................ ........  12 
G.1 Scale of sampling  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................  12 
G.2 Number of tests and criteria for  conformity  ................................ ................................ .....................  12 
Bibliography  ................................ ................................ ................................ ................................ ......................  13 
 DUS 2257 : 2020  
iv © UNBS 2020  – All rights reserved  
 Foreword  
Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) is a parastatal under the Ministry of Trade , Industry and 
Cooperatives establis hed under Cap 327 , of the Laws of Uganda , as amended .  UNBS is mandated to co -
ordinate the elaboration of standards and is  
(a) a member of International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) and  
(b) a contact point for the WHO/FAO Codex Alimentarius Commission on Food Standards, and  
(c) the National Enquiry Point on TBT  Agreement  of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).  
The work of preparing Uganda Standards is carried out through Technical Committees. A Technical 
Committee is established to deliberate on standards i n a given field or area and consists of key stakeholders 
including government, academia, consumer groups, private sector and other interested parties.  
Draft Uganda Standards adopted by the Technical Committee are widely circulated to stakeholders and the 
general public for comments. The committee reviews the comments before recommending the draft standards 
for approval and declaration as Uganda Standards by the National Standards Council.  
The committee responsible for this document is Technical Committee UNBS/TC 05, Chemical and 
Environment , Subcommittee SC 03, Plastics and related products ]. DRAFT UGANDA STANDARD  DUS 2257 : 2020  
 
© UNBS 2020  – All rights reserved  1 
 Plastic Buckets — Specification  
1 Scope   
This Draft Uganda standard prescribes the requirements, metho ds of sampling and test for  plastic buckets .  
2 Normative refere nces   
There are no normative references in this document . 
3 Terms and definitions   
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.  
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addr esses:  
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp  
3.1 
nominal  capacity  
the volume of liquid the container is intended to hold at 27 °C ± 2 °C  
3.2 
brimful capacity  
volume of water held by the container when filled to the point of overflowing at 27 °C, while standing on a level 
surface.  
3.3 
sprue  
excess material protruding from the outer base of the bucket where the mould was channelled  
3.4 
reversion  
the reduction on length expressed as a percen tage of the initial 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   
2 © UNBS  2020  – All rights reserved  
 4 Requirements  
4.1 General requirements  
4.1.1 Material  
The material of the buckets shall be made of suita ble food grade plastic material   
4.1.2 Finishing  
The buckets shall have a smooth finish  in appearance and feel, without any blemishes.  Moulding flash a nd 
sprue.  
4.1.3 Handle  
4.1.3.1  Shall be mad e of suitable rigid, corrosion resistant  material .  
4.1.3.2  Shall be so constructed and attached that it  shall provide  adequate grip .and shall not be injurious 
to the user . 
4.1.4  Workmanship  
4.1.4.1 To protect the base from abrasion, it shall be so suppo rted that at 90°, when the bucket  is filled 
with water  at 60 ˚C, it’s under surface excluding the ribs, is at least 5 mm above the plane surface on which it 
is placed.  
4.1.4. 2 The bucket shall have  a tight fit ting lid of the same material as  the bucket  
4.1.4. 3 The rim shall be  reinforced to prevent ovaling  
4.1.4. 4 The walls shall meet the bottom of the bucket with a curved surface to prevent dirt accumulation 
and facilitate cleaning.  
4.1.5 Mass  
The minimum mass of the bucket shall be as agreed by the purchaser and the supplier.  DUS 2257 : 2020  
© UNBS  2020  – All rights reserved  3 
 4.2 Specific requirements  
The product  shall also conform to the r equirements specified in Table 1  when tested in accordance with the 
test methods prescribed therein  
Table 1  — Specific requirements of  plastic bucket  
Characteri stic Requirement  Test method  
Reversion, %, Max  5 Annex A  
Splitting, mm , Max 2 Annex B  
Overload test  No part of the bucket or handle shall 
break and the handle shall not become 
detached from the bucket  Annex E  
Bleeding  Neither the filter paper nor the 
polyethylene sheet shall be stained  Annex F  
Brimful capacity  5% greater than the nominal capacity  Annex D  
4.3 Distortion test 
The buckets shall fulfil the following requirements when tested as prescribed in  Annex C  
4.3.1 The maximum increase in diameter of  top, at r ight angles to the handle shall be 5 percent of initial  
4.3.2 The maximum i ncrease in depth from  rim to bottom of bucket h shall be 3 percent of initial  
4.4 Drop test 
A bucket filled with water to its nominal capacity shall withstand three falls when dropped vertically on a flat 
concrete surface from a height of 1.5metre s.  
5 Pack aging 
The buckets shall be packed as agreed to between the purchaser and the supplier.  
6 Labelling  
The bucket shall be legibly and indelibly marked with the following  information ; 
a) nominal capacity in litres ; 
b)  name and address of manufacturer ; 
c) date code or batch number;  
d) country of origin;  
e) code  of resin identification.  and 
f) symbol for recycle   
4 © UNBS  2020  – All rights reserved  
 7 Sampling  
Representative samples of the buckets shall be drawn and conformity of the material to the requirements of 
this specification shall be decided according to the pr ocedure prescribed in Annex  G 
. DUS 2257 : 2020  
© UNBS  2020  – All rights reserved  5 
 Annex  A 
(normative)  
 
Reversion test  
A.1 Specimen   
A specimen of dimension 50mm x 2.5 mm, is cut from the side o f the bucket  such that its main axis is radial to 
the sprue. Five specimens from separate sect ors of the side are examined in each case.  
A.2 Procedure  
The specimens are measured accurately and then immersed in boiling water for 30 minutes. On removal,  they 
are allowed to cool for 1 hour, after which the length is measured again to the nearest 0.5 mm.   
6 © UNBS  2020  – 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 ± 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 minutes.  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 . DUS 2257 : 2020  
© UNBS  2020  – All rights reserved  7 
 Annex  C 
(normative)  
 
Distortion Test  
C.1 Outline of the Method  
Distortion test is carried out by hanging a 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 bucket by its handle at the centre from a double  hook, the arms of which are 
approximately 75 mm apart (see Fig. C1). 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 top a t right angles to handle (including spout, if any) and depth h from rim 
to bottom of bucket.  
C.2.3  Pour -water at 60°C until it is filled to a level of 25 mm from the rim. After five minutes, measure d and 
h, and report the increase in dimensions as percen tage of the initial dimensions   
8 © UNBS  2020  – All rights reserved  
 
 
Figure C1 — Apparatus for the determination of distortion  
  DUS 2257 : 2020  
© UNBS  2020  – All rights reserved  9 
 Annex  D 
(normative)  
 
Test  for brimful  capacity  
D.1 Apparatus  
D.1.1 A rigid transparent plastic disc with a slo t (see figure D1) 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 bucket  and the rigid transparent plasti c disc to an accuracy of 1 g.  
D.2.2. Fill the bucket  with water to within approximately 3 mm of brim. The water used should be at ambient 
temperature or in case of dispute, at 27ºC ± 2ºC.  
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 Weigh the filled container, together with the rigid transparent plastic disc.  
D.2.5 The difference in weighing 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 i s numerically equal to the brimfu l capacity 
of the container in millilitres  
 
 
Figure  D1—Transp arent plastic disc  
 
10 © UNBS  2020  – All rights reserved  
 Annex  E 
(normative)  
 
Overload test  
E.1 Outline of the method  
Overload test is carried out by hanging a bucket filled with specified load for a specified period and then 
examining for any break or detachment of the handle.  
E.2 Procedure  
E.2.1  Suspe nd the 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 
water required to fill the bucket.  
E.2.3  Examine t he bucket or handle for any break age or detachment of the handle from the bucket at 
either side after 30 minutes.  DUS 2257 : 2020  
© UNBS  2020  – All rights reserved  11 
 Annex  F 
(normative)  
 
Determination of colour b leeding  
F.1 Preparation of test specimens  
The recommended milling and moulding temperatures are given in Table F1. Milling shall be done on a 
fraction 1:1.1:1.2. Homogenise the polyethylene granules in a mixing mill for a total time of ten minutes; when 
the plastic stage is reached, cross -mix the samp le at two minutes intervals. The nip of the mixing mill shall be 
between 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm. A sheet shall then be comprehensive moulded between highly polished 
stainless steel plates from homogenate material. A suitable space shall be used between the plat es according 
to the required thickness of the polyethylene sheet. The moulding shall be carried out under pressure steadily 
increasing for five minutes and reaching a maximum of 20 kg/cm2 on the sample. Maintain the material under 
these conditions for five  more minutes and then cool under pressure till the temperature reaches 40 °C. 
Release the pressure and withdraw the sample  
Table F1: Recommended temperatures for milling and moulding  
Melt flow index  Milling temperature, max, ˚ 
C Moulding temperature, ˚ C 
0.2 160 160 
0.3 150 160 
2.0 140 150 
7.0 130 145 
20.0 120 140 
 
F.2 Procedure  
F.2.1 Place the test specimen on a piece of colourless polyethylene sheet 75 mm square and containing no 
antioxidant or other additive.  
F.2.2 Cover the specimen with a 75 mm square dry filter paper. In order to ensure good contact between 
the filter paper, the specimen and the polyethylene sheet on which it rests, these shall be sandwiched 
between two pieces of glass plate 75 mm square and 5 mm th ick.  
F.2.3 Keep this assembly in an air oven maintained at a temperature of 50 °C ± 1 °C for 72 h ± 1 h.  
F.2.4 Remove the assembly from the oven, and separate the parts. Examine the piece of polyethylene 
sheet and filter paper for staining, first against  a white and then against a black background  
  
12 © UNBS  2020  – All rights reserved  
 Annex  G 
(normative)  
 
Sampling  method  
G.1 Scale of sampling  
G.1.1 Lot — 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.  
G.1.2 For ascertaining the conformity of the material to the requirements of this specification, samples shall 
be tested from each lot separately.  
G.1.3 The number of buckets to be sample d from a lot shall depend upon the size of the lot and shall be in 
accordance with Table  G1 
Table G1 — scale of sampling and permissible number of defectives  
Lot size  
 
 For Finishing, handle, 
construction  and brimful 
capacity  Number of 
buckets to be 
select ed for 
distortion and 
overload test  
 Subsample 
size for 
reversion, 
splitting  and 
drop tests  
 Number of 
buckets to be 
selected  Permissible 
number of 
defectives  
Up to 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 to1000  50 5 13 4 
1001 and above  80 7 13 4 
 
G.2 Number of tests and criteria for conformity  
G.2.1 The bucket s selected shall be examined for Finishing  (4.1.2),  handle (4.1.3) and workmanship  (4.1.4) . 
A bucket failing to satisfy an y one or mor e of these require ments shall be considered as defective. The lot 
shall be considere d as conforming to the require ments for these characteristics if the number of defective 
buckets in the sample is less than or equal to the co rresponding number given in co l 3 of Table G1. 
G.2.2 The lot having been fo und satisfactory according to G .2.1 shall be s ubjected to distortion test (Ann ex 
C) and overload test (Annex E ). For this purpose, th e number of buckets given in col  4 of Table G1 shall be 
selected at random fro m the lot. These may be selected from those a lready examined according to G .2.1 and 
found satisfactory.  A bucket failing in any of these tests shall be considered as defective. The lot shall be 
considered to have passed these tests if no defective bucket i s found in the sample  
G.2.3 The lot having been fo und satisfactory according to G.2.1 and G .2.2 shall  finally be subjected to 
brimful, drop, reversion and splitting tests.  DUS 2257 : 2020  
© UNBS  2020  – All rights reserved  13 
 Bibliography  
[1] CDC 11(4438) P3:2015, Plastic Container – Specification - Part 1: B ucket  
[2] IS 2530 : 1968 , Methods of test for polyethylene moulding materials and polyethylene compounds  
[3] IS 3730 :1988,  Specification for High Density Polyethylene bucket  
 [5] TBS/ CDC 18 (4990) P3 – Strainer Mop Buckets – Specification (Rev. of TZS 1098 : 2010  
 DUS 2257 : 2020  
© UNBS 2020  – All rights reserved  15 
 Certification marking  
Products that conform to Uganda standards may be marked with Uganda National Bureau of Standards 
(UNBS) Certification Mark shown in the figure below.  
The use of the UNBS Certification Mark is governed by the Standards Act, a nd the Regulations made 
thereunder. This mark can be used only by those licensed under the certification mark scheme operated by 
the Uganda National Bureau of Standards and in conjunction with the relevant Uganda Standard. The 
presence of this mark on a pr oduct or in relation to a product is an assurance that the goods comply with the 
requirements of that standard under a system of supervision, control and testing in accordance with the 
certification mark scheme of the Uganda National Bureau of Standards. U NBS marked products are 
continually checked by UNBS for conformity to that standard.  
Further particulars of the terms and conditions of licensing may be obtained from the Director, Uganda 
National Bureau of Standards.  
 
 DUS 2257 : 2020    
 
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© UNBS  2020 – All rights reserved