Glass Jars & Glass Containers

Those of you who are looking for small glass jars for sale are at the right place with uCan-Packaging. We have a wide assortment of different glass containers for sale. All our jars are of the highest quality and have been crafted out of ultra-clear glass. They furthermore contain no Bisphenol-A which makes them suitable for holding any type of goods. Glass jars are especially popular in the food and cosmetic industry. In the latter, they are used as a sustainable and premium wrapping to hold crèmes, lotions, and powders. Although glass packaging may be a bit pricier than plastic and tin containers, they certainly give your product a more professional and high-end look.

What are glass jars?

A glass jar is a rigid container that often comes in the form of a cylinder and has a wide mouth or opening that, often, has been topped off with a lid. Generally speaking, jars can be made out of any material from which the most common ones are glass, plastic, or ceramic. Glass containers come in all sorts and sizes and are used in many different industries. Thanks to their durability and outstanding look, you often find them holding foods, cosmetics, and other thick substances. Pourable liquid, however, is more commonly stored in bottles instead of glass jars. Due to their wide-open neck, glass jars with lids are popular to store larger sized and bulky goods that are too big or thick for a bottle.

The great thing about glass jars is the fact that they give your product a premium look and that they are available in any type or color. Although often used to store everyday items, glass jars (and bottles) are also popular as a high-end wrapping. You can add any coloring style and design of your liking to glass, making it a great substance to turn into an artistic wrapping for your premium goods. In today’s world, there are plenty of artists who hand-blow their unique glass containers. Although not often used for packing goods, these glass jars are great decorative pieces for at home where they can be used to store snacks, cookies, or candies during special occasions such as Christmas.

History of glass jars and what they are made off

Generally speaking, jars can be made out of virtually anything. But, as its name already suggests, glass jars are made from glass. Today’s small glass jars with lids and bottles may look like a fancy and extraordinary piece of wrapping, however, little of us know that these wrappings have been around for thousands of years. The first glass jars and bottles were found in South East Asia as far back as 100 B.C. There are furthermore remains of glass jars with lids found in Southern Europe that date back to the time of the Roman Empire, approximately 1AD.

The earliest glass jars were made by melting sand which was then thrown into a box. After that, men would take a form made from clay, press it in the molten glass, and wait for it to harden. Once the glass had become solid, they would remove the clay from the inside which left them with a hollow glass jar. Around 1BC, the invention of the blowpipe allowed people to add more shapes and volume to their glass jars and bottles.

Modern-day glass jars are naturally of much higher quality and clarity compared to those of 2000 years ago because of our ever-advancing technologies. Modern glass jars, similar to the ones we find today, date back to the early 1600s when the first melting furnaces were built. With the invention of the automatic glass-blowing machine in 1880, the industry revolutionized and the popularity of glass jars and bottles grew tremendously.

How are glass containers made?

As it became clear above, the main ingredient for glass jars is glass, which can be made by melting sand. Although small glass jars with lids and vials have been around for thousands of years, the method of producing them has naturally evolved over the years. So, let us have a look at how glass jars are made today.

In today’s world, the production of glass jars is, just as that of many other wrapping materials, fully automatized. When talking about the automatic production of glass wrappings, there are two main techniques; Press & Blow and Blow & Blow.

Press & Blow: the press and blow technique of crafting glass jars is typically used for jars with a wide mouth. When applying this method, a gob (simply put a cylinder of molten glass) is dropped into a pre-shaped mold. Once in place, a plunger is used to press a dent into the gob which is now located inside the mold to create a parison (a partially formed piece of molten glass). Next, the parison gets flipped over and placed into the blow mold. When it has been placed inside the blow mold, air will be blown inside of it for the glass parison to take on the form of the mold. As a result, a glass container will be formed.

Blow & Blow: this method is mainly applied to create glass jars, vials, and bottles with a narrow neck. When using this technique, compressed air is used to press a gob into a blank mold. The pressure which is applied during this process will create a narrow neck. After this, the second blow of air is pressed through the newly formed neck which now begins to take the form of a jar. At this point, the parison is flipped over and placed in the blow mold. Now, air will be blown inside so that it can take the outline of the mold. The result: a newly formed glass container with a thin neck.

After you have created your glass jars with one of the above-mentioned techniques, you need to make sure they are cooled down properly. The cooling down process is just as important as the actual blowing process as, when done wrong, the vial may crack, chip, or break. During this process, they are often moved into an annealing oven which is used to reheat and cool the glass evenly to strengthen it. This process is necessary because glass which is not annealed can shatter very easily even with the slightest of temperature changes or little impacts such as shocks. Once the containers have cooled down in the right way, they will go through a quality inspection after which they will be ready for use.

Advantages of glass containers

Just like any other type of wrapping, glass containers bring along several benefits to its users. The first and most visible benefit is naturally going to be its premium look. Glass is a great type of packaging because it is transparent. As a result, it allows you to perfectly display goods such as snacks, candles, or makeup. Besides that, glass simply gives a product a premium touch. Glass packaging on itself looks much more professional and high-end then, let us say, plastic or metal tins. This makes glass jars and bottles the number one choice for many premium brands on the market.

Although it’s great that glass jars with lids look good to the eye, they have so much more to give than only their appearance. They bring along numerous hidden benefits for both your products and branding strategies.

One of the most important benefits of glass jars is the fact that they do not affect the taste or smell of the goods stored inside. They furthermore preserve that original flavor of your beverages for a much longer time compared to other wrappings. The reason behind this lies at the fact that this substance is less likely to allow the content of your jar to be mixed with air or any other chemicals. Additionally, glass jars are a great barrier against moisture which allows you to easily keep out outside air and moisture to prolong the shelf-life of your goods. Recent studies show that 80% of end-users believe that glass containers better maintain the quality of their purchased goods compared to other types of wrappings such as plastic- and metal tins.

Another great thing about glass is the fact that it does not erode over time such as plastic jars. Instead, glass jars, vials, or bottles have to be physically damaged before they become contaminated. This will further protect your products over a longer time. Thanks to this, glass is not only a more appealing but also a healthier option compared to other wrappings. Glass jars and tin containers are both crafted out of food-grade materials. They are BPA-free wrappings that are often used in the food and cosmetic industry. The great thing about glass jars is that you never have to worry about chemicals and contaminants because it is made from natural materials such as sand. Glass is the only type of packaging material that has been designated fully safe by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Besides all the benefits they bring along while being in use, glass jars have another great benefit which becomes clear after usage. Glass jars are easy to dispose of and are 100% recyclable which makes them one of the most sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging materials available today. More information on the disposal and recycling of glass jars can be found below.

Environmental benefits of glass jars

Glass jars bring along many benefits for companies and consumers. But let’s not forget about one of the indirect yet most important advantages of glass - the environmental benefits!

At uCan-Packaging, we put high importance on environmental protection and we believe that all our customers should be conscious of the environment and their impacts on it. This is why we sell only environmentally friendly and sustainable packaging materials such as aluminum tins and glass jars.

All our small glass jars with lids are completely recyclable. Additionally, they can be used over and over again once they have been emptied which allows you to reuse them for years to come. Glass is one of the only wrappings on the market that has an endless recycling life. Added to that, it has one of the fastest turnover times in terms of recycling. A glass container can be fully recycled and turned into a new jar, vial, or bottle in less than 30 days!

Many major shopping malls have glass recycle bins close by which makes it easy for you to return your jars. Additionally, many large shops and big brands take back their empty wrappings to reuse them again. A great example of this is empty beer bottles that are collected, cleaned, and reused time after time. Glass jars furthermore can be reused by people themselves at home for storage purposes. They are also often used by the creative souls among us for crafts, decorations, and DIY projects.

What are glass jars with lids used for?

Glass jars are some of the most popular and widely used wrapping materials on the globe. You can find them in pretty much every industry where they are used for holding small and large items alike. Glass jars are used for food, cosmetics, medicine, candles, and so much more. Thanks to the advantages of glass, they can be used to store virtually any type of product without harming its content. Below, we’ll have a quick look at the different types of glass jars on today’s market and what they are used for.

Heavy Base: these particular small glass jars are commonly used in the cosmetic industry. They treat you to a timeless and elegant way to showcase your products. Heavy base jars are made from thick and durable crystal clear glass which gives them a premium touch and appearance. These beautiful small glass jars are ideal for storing colorful make-up such as eye shadows, powders, crèmes, or lip balm. Thanks to their compact size and durable body, these glass containers can be conveniently carried around in a woman’s purse without needing to worry about them getting damaged.

Candle Jars: as their name suggests, these are small glass jars that are used for holding colorful candles. All of us have seen these beautiful colored candles that come in glass jars before. They are a popular item for home decor and are furthermore often used by DIY enthusiasts. These containers can be used to hold any type of candles ranging from wax lights to gel candles and votives.

Gallon Jars: these large glass jars come with a volume of half a gallon and a full gallon. Due to their large volume, they are commonly used for large-scale beverage storage, canning, and pickling. The lug jar is a real classic that has been used by people around the globe for hundreds of years. This particular type of glass container comes with a wide mouth and is covered off with a large twist lug lid.

Mason Jars: another classic is the Mason jar. Mason jars come in a wide range of different useful volumes which makes them extremely practical for holding any type of goods. Although smaller than gallon jars, these containers are still often used for food storage, canning, and preserving. They come equipped with a different type of lid for easy usage. The cap allows you to close off the jar tightly to preserve food whereas the transparent body lets you keep an eye on the status of your goods at all times. Besides food storage, these cans are also highly popular among DIY enthusiasts.

Spice Jars: glass spice jars can often be found back in high-end kitchens and restaurants. These beauties feature a premium look which makes them much more appealing to the eye then similar metal spice jars would be. With these transparent glass spice jars, you will be able to streamline any pantry and spice rack in your home, hotel, or restaurant. These containers are often crafted out of thick glass for extra durability.

Swing Top Jars: swing top bale jars are another classic among glass containers. These beautiful jars are often used to store snacks such as nuts or chocolates. They are furthermore great candy jars. Thanks to their delightful design, they look great in any kitchen or living room. The swing top jar comes equipped with a rubber gasket around the lid that makes sure no external air and moisture enter the container when it’s closed. This significantly prolongs the shelf life of the products kept inside of them. Swing top bale jars can often be found back in regular shops such as Ikea as they are a popular piece of home decor.

Colored Glass Jars: although traditionally transparent and white, glass jars are available in any tint of the rainbow. The most common colors include white, blue, green, and amber. You can, however, apply any type of color to your glass container. Glass can be easily colored and when done so it will give an extraordinary twist to your goods.

Oddly Shaped: just like the majority of other wrapping materials out there, glass containers can be fully customized in terms of coloring, size, and design. Whether you’re looking for square, straight, hexagon, oval, or faceted jars - everything is possible. Some glass candy containers even come in the form of a cute bear and glass pudding jars often come in a range of unique shapes as well. Such wrapping is guaranteed to set your product apart from that of competition.

Glass container lids and closing mechanisms

Besides the many different coloring options and shapes that glass jars come in, they can also feature different types of closing mechanisms. When talking about glass jars, there are three main lid types available. These include; screw caps, slipcovers, and flip-tops.

Screw Top Jars: the most common lid used on glass jars are screw caps. Just as with our tin containers, glass jars with this type of cap can be easily and tightly closed down by twisting the lid. These types of lids are great for holding liquids in and keeping external air and moisture out. Due to their tight closure, you will often find them on cosmetic and food containers to make sure the jar won’t leak.

Slip Cover Jars: slipcover jars are a bit rarer; however, you still find them regularly. Slipcovers can be very easily removed by simply lifting the cap. In terms of security, they have a less tight fit compared to screw-top jars. They are also less effective at keeping air and moisture out. Because of this, slipcover jars are not as common in today’s market. To securely close a slipcover jar, you might want to consider the use of shrink bands.

Flip Top Jars: also known as swing bale jars. They are a classic among the glass containers. These beauties come in all volumes and can be recognized by their unique swinging lid. Generally speaking, these containers are just for storing food. Nowadays they are a popular piece of decoration and often used as home decor.

Custom made glass jars

Small glass jars with lids treat you to a unique way to add a premium touch to your products. When using these high-end wrappings, you are guaranteed to differentiate yourself from your competitors. What’s best about glass containers is the fact that they can be fully customized according to your needs. Thanks to this, they deliver an unlimited resource for branding and promotion activities. At uCan-Packaging, we’re able to deliver small glass jars in any color imaginable. Our standard colors are white, amber, green, and blue. Each standard color is available in both a clear and matte finish. If, however, you wish to receive your container in a different tint, you can simply let us know. You can furthermore choose from different shapes, volumes, and closing mechanisms. We even can use different printing techniques to add a personal touch to your jar to make it fully represent your company.

If you wish to design custom glass packaging, you can simply contact us through e-mail. We give you the possibility to create personalized jars and cans at an affordable price. We won’t add any service charges for customizing your tins. Like this, we can provide cheap but high-end personal glass jars to all our customers - big and small.

Throughout the process of creating your personalized glass jars, you can enjoy the free help of our industry professionals. You can choose the size, outline, coloring, and design according to your wishes. Added to that, we can also customize the lid depending on your needs. Whether you are looking for a twist top, slipcover, or hinged lid - nothing is impossible with our glass containers.

Thanks to the latest technological advances, we are even able to print logos, text, and pictures straight onto the glass. This will further allow you to personalize your container. Simply let us know what you’re looking for, and together we’ll co-create the jar that you’ve always been looking for. For more detailed information on how to design your personalized jars, please contact us directly by email or give us a call. We offer professional support and customer service in English, Dutch, and Chinese. All customer inquiries will be answered within a 24-hour notice on regular business days.