The cosmetic industry’s requirements for glass packaging are becoming increasingly discerning, both in terms of the products’ quality and in respect of the production processes. We have set a new benchmark with our GMP certification. It confirms that we satisfy to the extremely high standards that apply in pharmaceutical glass production,” said Bruno Bürkel, Executive Vice President of Gerresheimer’s Moulded Glass Division.

The ISO 22716 standard was derived from the GMP 15378 standard for pharma production and it was initially only issued in respect of the production of cosmetics such as perfumes and creams. This meant that the standard had to be re-interpreted for application in the certification of a cosmetic glass manufacturer. The certification body DQS Medizinprodukte a company that audits and certifies production and management systems worldwide and Gerresheimer teamed up to adapt the standard for cosmetic glass production and Gerresheimer Tettau was audited and certified a few month ago. Now ISO 22716 also stipulates the requirements of a cosmetic packaging quality assurance system covering the entire process, from design and production to delivery, plus requirements for the sustainable management of natural resources. The application of GMP principles in the production and inspection of primary packaging for cosmetic products is crucial to ensuring safety and quality because cosmetics come into direct contact with their packaging.

“’Gerresheimer Tettau is the first company specializing in the production of cosmetic glass products that we have been able to certify as GMP-compliant. We had never applied the standard to a cosmetic glass manufacturer before, so our close collaboration with Gerresheimer Tettau was a pioneering project,“ said Sigrid Uhlemann, Director Medical Products at DQS Medizinprodukte.

Gerresheimer Tettau has been setting certification standards for many years now, so it was optimally prepared for the new certification. Gerresheimer has held ISO 9001 certification for its quality management system since 2001. In 2007, the plant also underwent an audit to confirm its compliance with the HACCP [1] Directive (EC) 852/2004. This system facilitates hazard analysis and critical control point monitoring in the production cycle taking specific hygiene requirements into account. The energy management systems were certified in 2009 pursuant to Article 41 of EEC/2009.

In the ISO 22716 Cosmetic certification process, the Tettau Plant was selected as a pilot for the Moulded Glass Division. Gerresheimer Tettau produces around 700 million glass containers such as flacons and cream jars for the cosmetics industry. It supplies reputed customers such as Avon, Beiersdorf, L’Oréal, Mäurer & Wirtz, Procter & Gamble and Puig. The Gerresheimer Group also manufactures glass packaging products for the cosmetics industry at its plants in Momignies (Belgium) and Beijing (China).

New packaging concepts for cosmetics and body care formulas

"We drew our inspiration from the flacons which were the most appreciated in our latest collection for the original design of the 2012 collection," explained Eduardo Ruiz, CEO of Gerresheimer Zaragoza.

The last two collections were designed by Valérie Bernard and the GPP Design Centre in Paris. Flacons are suitable for body care products, hair care and shower gels.

Customers were able to discover the new collection during two events taking place in Barcelona and Paris. The public showed great enthusiasm each time and the feedback was very positive according to Ruiz.

The German 2012 Packaging Award for the Mercedes Benz Perfume flacon.

The Gerresheimer Group has won the German Packaging Award for its Mercedes Benz Perfume flacon design.

We’re delighted about the award. Sophisticated glass flacons are an important part of the perfume and fragrance world and Gerresheimer is a specialist in this field. The Mercedes flacon is an impressive example of our design capabilities and we’re proud of it,“ said Nicola Balena, Sales Director Moulded Glass at Gerresheimer.

The flacon, which the manufacturer describes as ”masculine, modern and elegant”, is produced by Gerresheimer Momignies in 40, 75 and 120 ml sizes. A Mercedes-Benz star is featured on the glass base. The flacons are made at Gerresheimer’s Momignies plant on single-drop machines in a blow and blow process. After the production process they are fire polished to achieve a perfect surface finish. Finally, a bi-colour screen print of the famous automobile brand name is applied. The logo which is additionally featured on the base further enhances the flacon’s elegance and upmarket appeal.