Back in 2004, Taiwanese manufacturer Patrick Pan made a small but meaningful discovery that would completely change the course of his family business.

The importance of sustainable production was revealed during a visit to a recycling plant

Patrick’s factory produced acrylic cosmetic bottles at the time. Like many others, he was becoming more concerned about the environment. He wanted to see and understand the complete life cycle of his products.

So he decided to volunteer at a local recycling station.

One day, during his volunteer work, he immediately recognized a collection of bottles as coming from his factory. He asked the staff about the bottles, eager to learn more about their reuse and recycling. However, he was told that, since the material was rated a recycle code #7, the bottles would be very difficult to process. They would likely end up as pure waste.

This shook him up.

As a family operation, he was bringing his children into the business and planned on having them continue it for a long time into the future. But a legacy of waste is not what he wanted to pass on to his kids, or to inflict on their planet.

He immediately went back to his team, and set them to work on transforming the business.

There would be two essential points of focus moving forward:

1. They must switch to plastic material with an international recycle code 1, meaning the most sustainable material.
2. The bottles and jars produced from this plastic must still look and feel beautiful, so that luxury brands and consumers would be proud to use them.

And from there, his company EPOPACK began to pioneer the "Heavy Wall" style of PET plastic packaging.

Discover the sturdy, high-clarity, shatterproof material... That is eco-friendly

EPOPACK’s PET Heavy Wall containers are an innovative solution for luxury skincare and haircare brands looking for the charm of glass containers with none of the downsides, while being completely recyclable.

The word "heavy" refers to their sturdy construction, rather than weight. In fact, PET Heavy Wall bottles and jars are lighter than their glass counterparts. However, they command a presence on the shelf. And they feel luxurious in your hands.

It’s an eco-friendly packaging that does not require a compromise on style. While at the same time making life easier for e-commerce and shippers by essentially eliminating breakages.

Patrick’s PET Heavy Wall containers came on to the market in 2005. And by 2009, he was able to release his first fully Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) packaging as well.

Partner with a family-run packaging manufacturer to support your brand

Today, Patrick’s daughter Amy is one of the driving forces in the business. Together, they are planning on serving eco-conscious luxury cosmetic brands for years to come.

A healthy business relationship does not just depend on high-quality products, of course.

A multi-generational, experienced company builds their reputation on consistency of service and supply. The Pan family understands the needs of boutique cosmetic brands, and offers a reasonable Minimum Order Quantity to support even the most niche launches.

If part of your brand promise is sustainability, wouldn’t you like to work with a packager that not only shares your values, but acts on them to the point of completely re-inventing their entire business model to do it right?

The first step is to discuss your brand narrative and product goals, and then get a pack of exclusive PET Heavy Wall samples to try for yourself.

Amy Pan is making herself available to help you personally. You can book an advisory phone meeting by emailing her directly now: amypb@epopack.com