How Glass Bottles Are Packed for Export from China —
The Complete Guide

Why Packing Is as Important as the Bottle

A well-made glass bottle can survive 8,000km of sea freight if packed correctly. The same bottle, poorly packed, will arrive with a 5–15% breakage rate. The difference is not the glass — it is whether each bottle is isolated from every other bottle in transit.

Glass breaks when it contacts other glass under vibration and compression. Sea freight containers vibrate at frequencies that, over 25–35 days, will eventually cause bottle-to-bottle contact to chip, crack, or shatter. Proper packing eliminates all bottle-to-bottle contact.

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The Four-Layer Export Packing System

Layer 1 — Individual Paper Card Cells

Each bottle sits upright in its own individual paper card cell — think of it as a personal apartment for each bottle. The cell walls prevent any contact between adjacent bottles. Bottles are oriented neck-up to protect the most vulnerable point (the rim and thread). This is the critical layer — everything else is secondary to isolating each bottle individually.

Layer 2 — PE Dust Film Lining

A polyethylene film lining covers the inner walls of the carton, protecting bottles from moisture and dust during the sea voyage. This layer also provides secondary cushioning against carton wall contact during handling impacts.

Layer 3 — Double-Wall Corrugated Outer Carton

Double-wall (BC-flute) corrugated cardboard provides structural rigidity under stacking loads. Standard maximum: 20kg gross weight per carton. At 80–100 bottles per carton, a 30ml dropper bottle carton weighs 12–18kg gross — within safe range. Cartons are reinforced with strapping tape on all edges and sealed on all flaps.

Layer 4 — EPAL Standard Wooden Pallet

Specification	Large Pallet	Small Pallet
Dimensions (mm)	1100 × 1100 × 150	1200 × 1000 × 140
Dynamic load	1,000 kg	500 kg
Static load	4,000 kg	2,000 kg
Fork entry	Four-way	Four-way
Max actual load	1,500 kg (do not exceed 2,000 kg including pallet)

Pallets are wrapped in 3–4 layers of stretch film after cartons are stacked and secured with corner boards. This prevents carton shift during container loading and port handling.

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What a Packing List Should Include

Your factory's packing list for customs should specify: number of cartons, number of bottles per carton, gross weight per carton, net weight per carton, carton dimensions (L×W×H in cm), total volume (CBM), pallet count, and total gross weight. This is required for customs declaration and your freight forwarder's booking.

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Questions to Ask Your Factory Before Shipment

• Do you use individual paper card cells or do bottles share a foam sheet?
• What is your maximum carton weight? (Should be ≤20kg gross)
• Are pallets EPAL standard? Do they have ISPM 15 heat-treatment certification for import into the EU and US?
• What is your documented sea-freight breakage rate?
• Can you send photos of the packed carton and pallet before loading?

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ISPM 15 — The Wooden Pallet Certification You Cannot Miss

The EU, US, and most developed markets require wooden pallets and packaging to comply with ISPM 15 (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures) — a heat-treatment standard that prevents pest transfer via wood. EPAL pallets from Chinese factories are typically ISPM 15 certified, but confirm this explicitly. Non-compliant wood packaging is confiscated at the port of entry.

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Frequently asked questions

How are glass bottles packed for sea freight from China?

Professional export packing uses four layers: Layer 1 — each bottle in an individual paper card cell, upright, no bottle-to-bottle contact. Layer 2 — PE dust film lining inside the carton. Layer 3 — double-wall corrugated outer carton, maximum 20kg gross. Layer 4 — EPAL standard wooden pallet, wrapped in stretch film. This system achieves a sea-freight breakage rate under 0.3%.

What is the EPAL pallet specification for glass bottle exports?

Two EPAL pallet sizes are standard: 1100×1100×150mm (dynamic load 1T, static load 4T, four-way fork entry) and 1200×1000×140mm (dynamic load 0.5T, static load 2T, four-way fork entry). Maximum actual load per pallet is 1.5T — do not load more than 2T including pallet weight. All pallets are wrapped in stretch film after loading.

What breakage rate should I expect for glass bottles shipped by sea?

With proper four-layer export packing, sea-freight breakage rates should be under 0.3%. At 3,000 units, this means fewer than 9 broken bottles in transit. Higher breakage rates (1–5%) typically indicate inadequate inner packing — bottles in direct contact, insufficient cushioning, or overloaded cartons. Always ask your factory to confirm their breakage rate with evidence.

How many glass bottles fit in a carton box?

For 30ml dropper bottles, typically 80–120 units per carton depending on bottle diameter and cap height. Carton weight is kept under 20kg gross to comply with manual handling regulations and reduce compression damage in container stacks. Your factory will calculate the carton configuration based on your specific bottle dimensions.

Should I request FCL (full container) or LCL (less than container load) for 3,000 glass bottles?

For 3,000 units of 30ml dropper bottles, LCL is appropriate. The shipment volume is approximately 0.08–0.15 CBM — far below the 20–25 CBM threshold where FCL becomes economical. LCL means your cartons share container space with other shippers' cargo, which is standard for small-volume imports. FCL becomes cost-effective at approximately 5 CBM or more for most routes.