Glass jars for B2B — how to choose the right size, closure and material

Av Ida Simon-Andersson, HR/Marketing Manager at Nordic Pack AB

The choice of packaging is one of the last decisions in product development — and one of the most important. It determines whether the product meets shelf life, storage requirements and food approval. Glass jars are widely used in the food, dietary supplement, pharmaceutical and chemical-technical industries, but what separates a profitable packaging solution from an expensive re-design is whether you have asked the right questions from the start. If you have already decided on glass, you are in the right place to figure out the size and closure. Are you wondering instead whether glass or plastic is the right choice of material for your product, it's a good starting point. This guide will give you the decision-making information you need.

What determines the right glass jar for your product?

Glass jars are selected based on four factors: the chemical properties of the product, shelf-life requirements, the type of closure required for production, and your volume structure in the logistics chain. The size of the glass jar, glass color, and nozzle diameter affect everything from filling speed to pallet optimization, labeling area, and which filling machine you actually need to invest in.

Glass is the only common packaging material that is completely inert. It does not react with acids, fats, alcohol or aromas. For products with long shelf lives, sensitive taste profiles or strict regulatory requirements — food, herbal medicines, essential oils, spices and preserves — the glass jar is difficult to replace. The contents of a glass jar are not chemically altered by the wall of the packaging, which is the fundamental reason why foods with a 24–36 month shelf life are packaged in glass as standard.

For example, Swedish jam and marmalade producers who sell through the grocery store almost always choose glass jars with twist-off lids, as the combination provides a vacuum seal, a visible originality indicator and a shelf life exceeding 18 months without preservatives.

Which glass jar sizes suit which industry?

Volume determines more than storage space — it controls dosage, labeling space, pallet optimization and consumer behavior. B2B glass jars are typically delivered in the volume range of 30 ml to 5,000 ml, but the practically relevant segments are clear per industry.

For dietary supplements, 60–250 ml are the standard volumes. A 100 ml glass jar with a wide neck (63–82 mm nozzle) holds 90–120 capsules depending on capsule size and is DIN standard compatible with the most common filling machines in Sweden and the Nordic countries. Narrower necks, under 43 mm, are used for powders and granules to be dosed via spoon — wider necks provide easier filling but poorer dosing flow.

For food products — jams, marmalades, honey, preserves, pasta and sauces — volumes of 200–500 ml dominate in the grocery trade. The restaurant and horeca segment often orders 720 ml to 1,500 ml, combined with TO-82 or TO-63 lids that provide vacuum indication. A vacuum lid clicks in when the product cools after filling at 85–95°C. The click when the lid is opened confirms that the vacuum has held and that the package has not been broken since filling.

Life science, pharma and reagent applications use borosilicate or amber glass jars, typically 30–200 ml. Borosilicate withstands thermal shock better than standard glass and is used when the product is to be autoclaved. Amber glass absorbs UV radiation below 450 nm and protects light-sensitive substances — vitamins, omega-3 oils and phytochemicals degrade more quickly in clear glass.

The chemical-technical industry orders glass jars in 500 ml–5,000 ml sizes with chemical-resistant PP lids or PTFE-sealed aluminum lids. Glass's inertness to acids, alkalis and solvents makes it the first choice for laboratories and chemical processes where metal corrosion or plastic migration is unacceptable.

Concrete example: a food company producing chili jam for the Nordic market typically orders 1,500–2,000 units per run in 200 ml TO-63 glass jars — a volume range that optimizes the filling cost per unit without tying up capital in excess inventory.

How does the closure type affect your manufacturing and costs?

The lid of a glass jar is a technical decision, not an aesthetic one. The wrong closure can cause leakage in transit, missed vacuum during pasteurization, or a filling machine configuration that does not match the jar nozzle. The three most common systems in a B2B context are twist-off, press-on, and screw-on — the same principles apply to glass bottles in beverage production and plastic bottles for B2B, if you also handle liquid products in your business.

Twist-off-lock (TO-lock) is the standard for hot-filled products — jams, sauces, honey, pickles. The lid is pressed while hot and a vacuum is created when the product cools. TO-63 and TO-82 are the most common sizes in the grocery trade. The vacuum indicator is built into the lid design, but the lid requires the correct filling temperature — filling too cold results in insufficient vacuum and shorter shelf life.

Press-on/twist-off (PT-lock) is used when hot filling is not appropriate — for example, for products where high temperatures negatively affect taste or texture. The lock is screwed on and the seal is in a plastic insert rather than in a vacuum. PT-lock is more common for cold chain and fresh produce than for traditional pickle production, which in many cases still uses hot filling with TO-lock.

Screw caps with liners are primarily used in the food supplement, pharmaceutical and chemical-technical industries. The liner material varies — PE-foam for dry products, Induction heat seal (IHS) for products that require a seal guarantee when opened. Induction seal requires an additional machine in the production line but is standard for food supplements in the grocery trade, as it meets EU requirements for originality protection.

Important to consider: the nozzle diameter (DIN size) must match your filling machine. If you change the glass jar without checking the DIN size, you risk a reconfiguration cost. A line adaptation for DIN 82 to DIN 63 can cost a larger amount for a simple production line. Always check that the new glass jar is DIN compatible with the existing filling.

What regulations apply to glass jars in contact with food?

Glass jars used for food or dietary supplements in Sweden and the EU are subject to the EU Framework Regulation on Contact Materials, (EC) No 1935/2004 (Finnish Food Authority, 2024). The basic requirement is that the material must not migrate substances into the food in quantities that could harm health or affect taste and smell.

Glass is inert and has no migration risks to food. What requires documentation is the lids — lids with plastic components in contact with food are covered by (EU) No 10/2011Your supplier should be able to deliver a Declaration of Compliance (DoC) confirming that the material meets applicable requirements for your specific product type.

Without a valid DoC, you cannot sell in the EU. In the event of a Swedish Food Agency inspection or trading partner requirement, the DoC is one of the first documents requested. Always check that the DoC specifically covers your product type — a DoC for pickles does not automatically apply to a high-fat pesto.

If you are unsure which regulatory authority applies to your business, your municipal environmental administration is usually the starting point.

What does the sustainability profile of glass mean for your producer responsibility?

Glass jars have the highest recycling rate of common packaging materials in Sweden. Glass reached a 98% recycling rate in 2024, compared to 31% for plastic packaging (Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, 2024). Glass can be recycled without loss of quality for an unlimited number of cycles, which distinguishes it from most plastic materials that deteriorate with repeated recycling (Recycling industries, 2024).

As a producer in Sweden, you fall under the Producer Responsibility Act if you put packaging material on the market. Glass jars give you a material with high recycling value and clear environmental performance to communicate to consumers and trading partners. The EU's Packaging Regulation (PPWR) is gradually tightening the requirements for packaging producers — the recycling properties of glass give you a strong position in that reregulation.

For example, Swedish honey producers and specialty food brands consistently choose glass jars over plastic packaging when they enter premium segments or export markets — partly for regulatory reasons, and partly because glass's sustainability profile is easier to communicate to end customers.

How do you order glass jars in the right volumes for B2B?

B2B orders for glass jars are almost always made against a quote rather than a fixed price list. The price per unit drops significantly for orders of 500+ units and drops further for pallet quantities, typically 1,000–5,000 units depending on jar size. The parameters that determine the price are volume, material thickness, glass color, lid type and any special label or embossing.

Delivery time is a factor to consider from day one. Standard clear glass jars and TO lids are often in stock at well-stocked wholesalers in Sweden and can be delivered within 1–5 working days. Special orders — for example amber glass jars, special volumes or label customization — require significantly longer lead times from the factory, often in Europe (Czech Republic, Poland, Austria).

Nordic Pack is a one-stop supplier for glass jars and other B2B packaging. This means you can consolidate glass jars, lids, labels and logistics with one provider — reducing administrative burden and providing better coordination when you need to adjust packaging choices for a product launch or reformulation.