Made of recyclable PET plastic, lighter than glass and virtually unbreakable, Wyeth's invention is used widely today for both carbonated and non-carbonated drinks.

After experimenting with a plastic detergent bottle that proved incapable of withstanding the forces of pressurized liquids, he realized that a much stronger material would be required.

He initially experimented with polypropylene, but ultimately settled on polyethylene terephthalate as the material and received the patent in 1973.

Wyeth was the first person named senior engineering fellow at DuPont, the company's highest technical position.

Wyeth's other innovations included improvements to manufacturing process, plastics, textiles, electronics and mechanical devices.