Worldwide glass primary packaging manufacturer, SGD Pharma, announces the expansion of its cosmetics and beauty offering with the introduction of NOVA - a new lightweight glass bottle.

This innovative primary packaging solution combines the exceptional functional and aesthetic performance of glass with a reduced carbon footprint linked to weight optimization. The growing trend for sustainable product sourcing – evidenced in the ‘Unpacking Asia-Pacific Consumers’ New Love Affair with Sustainability’ report from Bain & Company – puts environmental and social benefits at the top of purchasing criteria for consumers.

NOVA from SGD Pharma directly enables brands using this lightweight glass packaging solution to be more eco-friendly while keeping luxury and aesthetics of the packaging at the forefront. New NOVA bottles, unveiled at Cosmoprof Asia in Hong Kong, are the innovative result of SGD Pharma’s expertise in manufacturing robust pharma-grade glass packaging. SGD Pharma is a global market leader in molded glass packaging solutions for the pharmaceutical industry, and an expert in Narrow Neck Press and Blow (NNPB) forming technology in pharma bottles.

This technical know-how is already used in its Clareo offering of premium pharma glass vials, and is adapted here for the benefit of cosmetic and beauty customers. The weight reduction is combined with a glass distribution optimization providing better mechanical resistance. NOVA bottles look appealing, withstand transport and distribution pressures and have a smaller carbon footprint. Reducing the weight of packaging materials is a promising solution to minimize GHGs emissions.

On a new 200ml bottle in its NOVA range, SGD Pharma has reported approximately 20% reduction in CO2 emissions compared with the standard Dorado bottle thanks to less raw materials consumption*. The weight-volume ratio is an important parameter to measure the lightness of glass bottles and the ratio of conventional cosmetic bottles produced by Blow and Blow process ranges from 1.0 to 3.0**. The new 200ml bottle in the NOVA range (brimful volume 215ml and weight of just 140g) has reached an extremely low weight-volume ratio 0.65, while retaining the same properties and safety as the heavier Dorado model. Nova therefore enables weight reduction in the supply chain and appeals to the consumer drive for green packaging.

Chunyan Zheng, Deputy General Manager of Industrial Operation at SGD Pharma’s Zhanjiang plant, asserts: “Nova is the latest innovation from our Zhanjiang plant in China, representing the ‘star’ performance needed by beauty brands of both aesthetics and functionality. SGD Pharma has a proven record of quickly addressing changing customer needs and Nova is the manifestation of our ambition for improved ecological performance and reduced manufacturing emissions, making it the optimal packaging solution for 21st century cosmetic brands."

Frédéric Barbier, General Manager of SGD Pharma BU APAC, adds: “SGD Pharma’s global goal is to reduce its carbon footprint 35% by 2030, and 65% by 2040 (compared with 2020 baseline), scope 1 & 2. SGD Pharma recently announced its participation in the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) and is currently working on the 1.5°C scenario decarbonization pathway validation including scope 3 emissions. NOVA is one of many actions we take to advance our ambitious decarbonization strategy. Our experienced team can support beauty brands in the development of their own lightweight bottle while maintaining the functional integrity and design potential of packaging.”

For more information on Nova lightweight glass bottles or SGD Pharma’s other product innovations, click here

*This number is based on SGD Pharma's estimated scope 1 & 2. This CO2 emission reduction is a result of reduced weight of the bottle, Dorado standard 200ml bottle weighs 178g while Nova 200ml bottle weighs 140g. **The weight-volume ratio represents the weight over brimful capacity, the lower this number, the lighter the bottle. ENDS