Cosmetic plastic packaging parameters

Cosmetic plastic packaging through PET transparent environmental protection, PP chemical resistance, acrylic high-end texture and other characteristics to meet the diverse needs of the choice of parameters need to be combined with the composition of the product (such as alcohol content), the use of scenarios (such as high-temperature filling) and environmental protection requirements. PET is suitable for the display of liquid products, PP focuses on the functionality of the protection, acrylic is Reinforce the high-end positioning of the brand.

I. The mainstream material and parameter comparison

• PET (polyethylene terephthalate)

Characteristics: high transparency (light transmittance ≥ 95%), lightweight (density 1.38g/cm³), excellent oxygen barrier (oxygen permeability ≤ 0.5cm³/(m²-day)), suitable for filling vitamin C extracts and other liquid products that need to be kept away from oxygen.

Environmental protection: 100% recyclable, widely used in transparent bottles and environmental protection series packaging.

• PP (Polypropylene)

Characteristics: high temperature resistance (≥100℃), chemical resistance (strong acid/alcohol resistance), density 0.9-0.91g/cm³, commonly used in high-temperature filling products (e.g. cleansing lotion, make-up remover).

Limitations: poor light transmission (semi-transparent milky white), need additional printing process to enhance the appearance of texture.

• Acrylic (PMMA)

Characteristics: high gloss (close to glass texture), high hardness (modulus of elasticity ≥ 3,000MPa), but brittle, need to spray anti-scratch process on the inner layer, commonly used in high-end cream bottles, perfume bottles.

Processing requirements: drying treatment (80-90℃/3 hours) is required before injection molding to avoid air bubbles.

• PETG (modified PET)

Advantage: Impact strength 50% higher than PET, light transmittance ≥90%, suitable for complex shaped bottles (e.g. lip gloss tube, mascara tube).

Limitations: poor tolerance to alcohol, ester solvents, compatibility test required.

• ABS (engineering plastics)

Characteristics: high hardness (modulus of elasticity 2,000-2,500MPa), excellent chemical resistance, but can not be directly in contact with the material body, mostly used for bottle caps, outer packaging boxes.

II. The material applies to cosmetics

PET: Density (g/cm³) 1.38 Transmittance ≥ 95% Temperature range (℃) -20 ~ 70 for serum, toner

PP: Density (g/cm³) 0.90-0.91 Transmittance ≤ 30% Temperature range (℃) -20 ~ 120 for cleanser, make-up remover oil

Acrylic: Density (g/cm³) 1.18-1.20 Transmittance ≥ 92% Temperature range (℃) -40~90 For high-end cream bottles, perfume bottles.

PETG: Density (g/cm³) 1.27 Transmittance ≥90% Temperature range (℃) -40~65 For lip gloss, mascara.

ABS: Density (g/cm³) 1.05-1.07 Transmittance ≤80% Temperature range (℃) -20~80 For bottle caps, outer packaging boxes.

III. Function and Design Adaptation

• Barrier design

Multi-layer composite: PET+EVOH layer can reduce the oxygen transmission rate to 0.1cm³/(m²-day), prolonging the shelf life of active ingredients.

Vacuum Aluminizing: PET surface is aluminized (thickness 0.02mm) to enhance UV barrier (≥99%), suitable for photosensitive products.

• Appearance process

In-mold labeling (IML): PP material surface embedded with high-resolution patterns (≥300dpi), abrasion resistance up to level 4.

Metal spraying: ABS bottle cap adopts electroplating process to realize mirror effect and enhance the sense of high-end.

• Structural innovation

Tube packaging: PE material (elongation ≥ 500%) can be extruded and molded, suitable for lotions and sunscreens.

Aerosol cans: PETG compressive strength ≥ 0.8MPa, suitable for spray products packaging.

• Environmental protection and trend

Recyclability: PET / PP recycling rate of 100% / 85%, ABS requires special treatment (recycling rate of ≤ 60%).

Lightweight: PET bottle wall thinning to 0.3mm (traditional 0.5mm), weight reduction of 20%.

Bio-based plastics: PLA (polylactic acid) and other biodegradable materials began to be applied to the environmental protection series of packaging.

V. The importance of environmental factors in the choice of plastic packaging for cosmetics

1. Regulations mandatory requirements

Many countries around the world have implemented plastic policy, requiring the use of cosmetic packaging recyclable materials (such as PET, PP), some countries prohibit the use of non-biodegradable PVC materials.

Enterprises using environmentally friendly packaging materials can enjoy tax exemptions or subsidies, to avoid the risk of fines and market bans due to non-compliance with environmental regulations.

2. Circular Economy Transformation

The recycling rate of PET material has reached 100%, and the proportion of recycled PET (rPET) used in cosmetic bottles and tubes has increased to 35%, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of raw materials.

The EU's New Plastics Economy Agreement requires all plastic packaging to be recyclable or reusable by 2030, forcing companies to optimize material selection.

3. Shift in consumer preference

65% of consumers say they are willing to pay a 10%-15% premium for environmentally friendly packaging, and bio-based plastics (e.g., PLA) and biodegradable materials (e.g., PHA) have become the core of brand differentiation and competition.

Eco-friendly packaging enhances brand image, e.g. brands using FSC certified paper-plastic composite packaging increase social media exposure by 40%.

4. Functionality and environmental balance

PETG material combines high transparency and recyclability, replacing traditional non-recyclable acrylic and becoming the mainstream choice for serum bottles.

Lightweight design (e.g., PET bottle wall thinning to 0.3mm) ensures barrier properties while reducing the amount of plastic used, reducing carbon emissions by 20% per bottle.

5. Bio-based and biodegradable materials

Emerging materials such as corn starch-based plastics and seaweed extract packaging materials have been commercialized, with the degradation cycle shortened to 6-12 months, and are suitable for scenarios such as mask bags and small sample packaging.

Nano-coating technology enhances the water resistance of paper packaging, and oxygen barrier performance is increased by 50% after compounding with plastic, expanding the scope of application of environmentally friendly materials.

6. Intelligent Recycling System

Embedded with NFC chip or QR code, the bottle realizes packaging traceability and recycling incentives, and consumers can get points to redeem rewards after scanning the code, increasing the recycling rate to 70%.

7. Initial cost and long-term benefits

Eco-friendly package production costs are 15%-20% higher than traditional plastics, but transportation costs are reduced by 10% due to lightweight design, and tax incentives offset 30% of incremental costs.

Companies using recycled materials such as rPET have improved ESG ratings and reduced financing costs by 2-3 percentage points.

Contact us