Eastman said that its Glass Polymer has a look-and-feel close to glass, but claimed it is lighter and is even more resistant to breakage than conventional plastic material alternatives.
The company said its chemical composition allowed thick-walled containers to be designed with high clarity, beauty and strength, with transparency rates of 91 per cent.
Chief executive officer of Matis Robert Walock said of his company's choice: "Glass Polymer has many advantages of glass, but with none of the drawbacks. Besides aesthetics, its texture reinforces the quality attributes - there is none of the squeezability of PET, for instance."
And there were cost and logistics benefits too, Walock explained: "The copolyester containers are much lighter than glass. And that greatly reduces logistics costs."
"With its strength and no brittleness, Glass Polymer is the safest packaging option: drop it on the floor, and it stays perfectly intact. This is ideal since we export to 70 countries, and are always looking to reduce the weight and the chance of breakage of our products," he added.
For Matis, one of the main criteria was that the container had to offer chemical- and scratch-resistance. "For us, like all health and beauty manufacturers, corrosion is a serious issue - hence, natural glass was the choice material until now. But after extensive testing, we neither had scratch nor corrosion problems with the Glass Polymer," said Walock.
Furthermore, stated Eastman, the new copolyester allows the production of complex and sophisticated shapes, and many possibilities in terms of material coloration, even for small volumes. Switching to another colour is a flexible process. This is beneficial for converters of the Matis range, which is marketed in frost-transparent, glossy transluscent pink, glossy translucent green and blue variations.
Also, because the Glass Polymer has a homogeneous composition, it can be cast to much finer tolerances. This makes accurate calibration of the packaging possible. For example, to achieve an optimal joint between the neck and filling pump, for problem-free filling, and for achieving a perfectly hermetic seal that is easy to open and does not wrinkle.
Paris-based Verreries Pochet du Courval, through its joint venture with Pochet Inoac, and dedicated to injection blowing production, has been chosen to convert the Glass Polymer into the containers for the Matis range.
The containers are injection blow-moulded on a standard PET production machine. This process enables more sophisticated bottle formations to be created than by conventional blow-moulding.
The reaction from Matis to Eastman's packaging material was extremely positive. "I am delighted to say that the new packaging in the Glass Polymer has been a compete success," said Walock.
"Everyone along the production and logistics chain is thrilled with it. The consumers love the unpolished texture we use and, like us, agree that the packaging enhances the product in every way."
"Given the contribution it has made in successfully launching the cosmetics range, we are certainly considering the use of this innovative material for other beauty products," concluded Walock.