a method for post - mold attachment of a handle to a strain - oriented plastic container body . the method utilizes thermal shrinkage of the oriented container body to engage the handle ; for example , a highly - oriented recess is molded in the container body and then shrunk to engage a complimentary - shaped lug on the handle . the method is useful for both hot - fillable and pasteurizable containers , and is particularly useful for making larger - sized containers , wherein the weight of the product and size of the container make handling and pouring difficult .