Indonesian company KEMAS PKG is working twice as hard!

Establishment of an in-house design team that acts as a true partner, from packaging design to production… An automation strategy enabling the production of complex manufacturing components for high-end packaging… Implementation of Artificial Intelligence-based systems that analyze production processes in real time to identify opportunities for waste reduction, optimize material usage, and pinpoint areas for continuous improvement… And finally, the establishment—using a dedicated infrastructure—of design capabilities, partnerships for consumer research, pricing analysis, and support for go-to-market strategies… According to Dina K. Dinata, Director of Business Development at the Indonesian firm PT Kemas Indah Maju, “The competitive advantage lies with manufacturers who act as strategic partners in brand development, not merely as suppliers!” Specializing in the manufacture of packaging for cosmetics, makeup, and skincare products, the company now operates seven factories employing 1,250 people and serves customers in Europe, the United States, Latin America, and Asia.

According to its executives, the company has evolved in just a few years from a traditional, export-oriented manufacturer of injection-molded plastic parts to a global player. “Historically,” explains Dina K. Dinata, “our business was heavily export-oriented, with exports at one point accounting for up to 90% of our revenue. Today, that trend has reversed dramatically. Our sales are now split roughly 40% for exports and 60% for the domestic market. This 50-point shift illustrates just how quickly Indonesia has established itself as a key beauty market. This is not merely a matter of growth, but a complete rebalancing of our business strategy, reflecting a much broader phenomenon: the emergence of Southeast Asia as a major hub for the global beauty industry.”

Today, the Indonesian company manufactures packaging for all major categories of color cosmetics and skincare. Its portfolio includes lipsticks, powder compacts, jars, mascara tubes, aluminum components, and lip gloss packaging. It is worth noting that the manufacture of bottles for liquid products has become strategic as cosmetic formulations have evolved toward increasingly fluid formats—particularly for liquid lipsticks, concealers, blushes, and many other applications—leading to strong volume growth throughout Southeast Asia.
So much so that the Indonesian firm now produces up to 10 million bottles per month, making it one of the region’s major players.

“Formulas are becoming lighter,” explains Dina K. Dinata, “which requires more refined mechanisms and more intuitive application systems. At the same time, miniature and smaller formats are becoming increasingly important. It’s not just a matter of aesthetics; it’s also a matter of pragmatism. In the color cosmetics sector in particular, impulse purchases predominate, and many consumers don’t finish a full-size product. Miniatures reduce waste, encourage trial, and align packaging strategy with actual consumer behavior.”

Investments Across the Board

According to Dina K. Dinata, “the industry has undergone a profound transformation. The ‘industrial revolution’ has given way to what I would call a ‘social revolution,’ where partnership in the very design of products has become a competitive imperative. Historically, we handled the execution; today, partnership is essential. Brands need partners who understand not only production but also pricing strategy, design philosophy, and the narrative that resonates with consumers. And that’s where we’ve focused our investments over the past two years.” The firm has therefore assembled an in-house design team that acts as a true partner, from design through production. “Modern beauty product packaging design has evolved beyond mere surface decoration,” emphasizes Dina K. Dinata. “Today’s brands directly integrate the consumer’s actual experience into the packaging’s architecture: how a product fits into different life contexts, the sensation it provides in different hands, how it fits into daily rituals, its portability, and its pairing with accessories. Design has become an experiential architecture where form, materials, and tactile quality embody the brand’s narrative. We invest in custom molds and tooling infrastructure that enable this level of sophistication, thereby making packaging an integral part of the brand experience.”
The main result of this evolution at Kemas—specifically KALVA (Kemas Automated Liquid Vial Assembly)—is the production of 10 million vials per month using an automation infrastructure capable of achieving the complex manufacturing details that distinguish high-end packaging from mass-market products.

“We have also implemented artificial intelligence-based systems, explains Dina K. Dinata, which analyze production processes in real time to identify opportunities for reducing waste, optimizing material usage, and pinpointing areas for continuous improvement. These systems monitor equipment performance, predict maintenance needs, and analyze working conditions to improve employee safety, ergonomics, and productivity. The philosophy is clear: manufacturing excellence depends as much on technological innovation as on the quality of the work environment where that innovation takes shape.”

Beyond production machinery, the Indonesian firm has invested in a truly “collaborative” infrastructure encompassing design capabilities, partnerships in consumer research, pricing analysis, and support for go-to-market strategies. “This allows us to collaborate with brands,” explains Dina K. Dinata, “to solve the overall business equation: packaging that communicates the brand’s identity, fulfills its function, resonates with target consumers, and aligns with unit profitability.”
Looking ahead to 2027, the firm explains that it will continue these investments by expanding its consumer research capabilities, strengthening integration from design through production, and implementing advanced sustainability tracking that enables brands to communicate authentically about their environmental impact.

Environment: The challenge isn’t simply making packaging recyclable!

“This is perhaps one of the most interesting changes currently taking place in the field of cosmetic packaging,” notesDina K. Dinata, “as we’re beginning to see two very different markets emerge. In Europe, the PPWR Directive is fundamentally redefining our approach to packaging development. There is an increasing emphasis on designing recyclable packaging, simplifying material structures, and incorporating post-consumer recycled materials. For packaging manufacturers, this means completely rethinking the design of a package from the very beginning. Historically, luxury cosmetics packaging could combine several different materials, be quite heavy, and feature metallized components, coatings, and complex decorative processes. Increasingly, we are being asked to simplify these structures and develop packaging using materials and designs that meet the required recyclability standards. In practical terms, this has led to a much greater interest in single-material or easily separable solutions. Polypropylene has become particularly important because it can be used in many cosmetic packaging applications while offering a well-established recycling infrastructure. PET is another key material due to its recyclability and well-established recycling system, although its physical properties do not necessarily make it suitable for all cosmetic packaging applications. PCR (post-consumer recycled material) is also becoming increasingly important. The PPWR regulation introduces mandatory targets for the recycled content of plastic packaging, with the required percentage depending on the packaging category and material. This means that recycled content will increasingly need to be considered from the very beginning of the development process, rather than being added later. This represents a major technical challenge for the beauty industry.”

For the Indonesian firm, the challenge is not simply to make packaging recyclable. It involves partnering with brands to preserve the visual and tactile qualities that consumers associate with prestige and luxury, while meeting increasingly stringent environmental requirements.

“Refillability is another important element of this equation,” explains Dina K. Dinata, “and it’s an area where we believe sustainability and luxury can coexist very well. The NARS Explicit lipstick, for which we produced refillable components, is a good example. This project demonstrates that a brand does not necessarily have to sacrifice the high-end qualities of its packaging to adopt a more sustainable format. With the right technical and conceptual approach, the primary packaging can retain the aesthetic and tactile experience expected of a luxury product, while the refillable component reduces the amount of packaging needed for subsequent purchases. For us, this represents an important direction for luxury beauty. Rather than viewing sustainability simply as eliminating materials or reducing the visual impact of packaging, smart refill systems allow manufacturers and brands to rethink the use of materials and the length of time the primary packaging remains in the consumer’s hands.”

The company is also working with alternative materials such as LIMEX, a calcium carbonate-rich composite material that offers a different approach to sustainability by reducing dependence on conventional petroleum-based plastic and potentially lowering the carbon footprint associated with material production. “Its recycling process, however, differs from that of established materials such as PET and polypropylene,” notes Dina K. Dinata. “We therefore view this as one potential approach among others, rather than a universal solution.”

A Thriving Aesthetic in Asia

“We’re seeing an almost opposite dynamic across Asia. Many Asian and Southeast Asian markets,” explains Dina K. Dinata, “are not currently subject to the same regulatory framework as in Europe. Brands therefore have considerably greater freedom when it comes to choosing materials, weight, decoration, and design.” The result is fascinating. Historically, Asian beauty brands often looked to Europe and the United States for inspiration regarding luxury packaging. Today, we are increasingly seeing Asian brands push the boundaries of luxury packaging themselves through substantial weight, sophisticated decorations, high-end finishes, and highly distinctive visual identities. We are therefore witnessing a very interesting divergence. Europe is increasingly influencing the global industry through regulations and sustainability requirements, while Asia is exerting a growing influence on packaging aesthetics, decoration, and the expression of luxury. Whether these two trends will eventually converge will be one of the most interesting developments to watch in the beauty packaging sector over the next few years.”

It is worth noting that China perfectly illustrates this trend. Local Chinese beauty brands have become significantly more sophisticated, both in terms of formulations and packaging, and consumers now have access to increasingly robust local luxury alternatives. Indonesia represents another crucial development for the Indonesian firm. The Indonesian beauty market has experienced exceptionally rapid growth over the past two years: a very large consumer base, booming domestic brands, and increasingly significant production volumes are now shaping the company’s strategic direction.

Among the company’s other strategic advantages is its halal certification, which has become increasingly valuable. “Halal requirements,” emphasizes Dina K. Dinata, “are becoming increasingly relevant in the global beauty market, particularly in Indonesia, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. The ability to manufacture in a halal-certified environment is a major asset when we work with brands targeting these consumers.”
For the Indonesian company, sustainability cannot be viewed entirely separately from the customer experience. Packaging must always convey the brand’s values, function properly, and create an emotional connection with the consumer.