Plastic container

1. A plastic container comprising: a self-supporting base; a body portion extending above the base, said body portion including an annular wall; and a neck portion extending above the body portion, said neck portion including a dispensing opening; wherein said body portion includes a substantially rigid sidewall portion including a structural reinforcement, said structural reinforcement including a plurality of reinforcement formations extending around said annular wall in the form of indentations and interspersed lands arranged in a staggered, overlapping configuration, said reinforcement formations being rectangular, brick-like formations with a recessed central portion, wherein said reinforcement formations are separated by intervening raised lands and are present in a plurality of circumferential rows each of which extend completely around said annular wall, and wherein said rectangular, brick-like formations have a width and a depth, and the ratio of width to depth is from 10:1 to 2:1.

2. A container according to claim 1 , including 4 to 8 of said rows.

3. A container according to claim 2 , wherein the ratio of width to depth is from 2:1 to 3:1.

4. A container according to claim 2 , wherein the ratio of width to depth is from 8:1 to 10:1.

5. A container according to claim 1 , wherein the base includes a flexible portion configured to contract upwardly in response to vacuum generated within the container.

6. A container according to claim 5 , wherein the base includes a substantially rigid, peripheral support portion, a central flexible portion and a transition segment between the support portion and the flexible portion.

7. A container according to claim 1 , wherein said sidewall portion includes at least one annular ring.

8. A container according to claim 7 , wherein said at least one annular ring is above said brick-like formations.

9. A container according to claim 1 , wherein said body portion includes at least one additional pressure relief formation.

10. A container according to claim 1 , wherein said plastic container includes recycled plastic material.

11. A container according to claim 1 , wherein said container includes a coating on the internal surface of the container.

12. A container according to claim 11 , wherein said coating is a carbon coating.

13. A container according to claim 1 , wherein said container is hot fillable.

14. A container according to claim 1 , wherein said body portion includes a shoulder portion between the sidewall portion and the neck portion, and wherein said shoulder portion includes at least one pressure relief formation that can move inwardly in response to internal pressure.

15. A container according to claim 1 , the base includes a plurality of support legs separated by recessed portions.

16. A container according to claim 1 , wherein the base includes a ribbed portion with ribs extending outwardly from a button-like central portion and a peripheral outer rigid support portion.

17. A container according to claim 16 , wherein the peripheral rigid support portion includes pressure relief formations thereon.

18. A container according to claim 1 , wherein the base includes a circumferential ribbed area surrounding a central button-like portion.