SGD Pharma secures ISO 14021 Certification for PCR glass packaging in China

CHINA – Pharmaceutical and beauty glass packaging specialist SGD Pharma has achieved ISO 14021 certification for its post-consumer recycled (PCR) glass packaging produced in China, becoming the first glass manufacturer in the country to attain the standard.

The certification, issued by Bureau Veritas, validates the company’s environmental claims related to PCR content and confirms compliance with internationally recognized verification requirements.

ISO 14021 governs self-declared environmental claims and requires that sustainability statements be supported by transparent, verifiable data.

SGD Pharma said the certification formally recognizes its capability to manufacture PCR glass packaging in China and endorses the robustness of its internal monitoring and reporting systems.

PCR glass plays a central role in SGD Pharma’s decarbonization roadmap. The company is targeting a 42% reduction in Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions and a 25% reduction in Scope 3 emissions by 2030, using 2022 as its baseline year. Increasing the proportion of recycled cullet in glass production is a key lever in achieving these goals.

Citing data from the European Container Glass Federation (FEVE), the company highlighted that every 10% increase in recycled glass usage can reduce energy consumption by around 3% and cut CO₂ emissions by 5%.

The newly certified production run incorporated between 18% and 35% PCR content, calculated in line with FEVE’s recognized methodology.

The ISO 14021 audit confirmed that SGD Pharma’s application of FEVE guidance for measuring and validating PCR levels meets the standard’s requirements.

SGD Pharma noted that securing sufficient volumes of compliant post-consumer glass cullet remains a significant challenge in China, where collection and sorting infrastructures are still developing.

To address this, the company has implemented a stringent sourcing, testing and traceability framework designed to ensure consistent quality and full transparency across all PCR glass output.

As regulatory scrutiny tightens and consumer expectations around sustainability intensify, SGD Pharma said cosmetics and beauty brands are increasingly seeking packaging solutions that demonstrably support circularity.

Certified PCR glass, the company added, offers customers a credible and transparent route to lowering environmental impact while aligning with global sustainability standards.

Frédéric Barbier, SGD Pharma Asia Pacific general manager, said the certification underscores the company’s leadership ambitions in sustainable glass packaging.

“By overcoming local supply chain constraints in securing high-quality PCR cullet in China, we are providing our partners with a certified, low-carbon solution that aligns with international norms,” he said.

The certification comes as SGD Pharma continues to expand its global footprint. Last August, the company signed an agreement with Italian private equity firm Entangled Capital to acquire Alphial S.r.l., a specialist manufacturer of tubular vials and ampoules, subject to Italian FDI clearance.

Together with its joint venture with Corning to establish a pharmaceutical tubing facility in India, the move reflects SGD Pharma’s strategy to build a resilient, low-carbon, global glass manufacturing network.

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