The latest CPHI Trend Report delves into the complexities and costs associated with sustainable pharmaceutical packaging. CiPPPA Chairman, Duncan Flack, shared his insights on the report.
Sustaining the Environment and Pharma Packaging
The report highlights that international regulations for plastics, waste reduction, and circular economies impact not just packaging but the entire pharmaceutical industry. A staggering 71% of the medical industry’s waste emissions, including those from the pharmaceutical sector, can be attributed to scope 3 emissions. These emissions involve activities critical to the pharmaceutical value chain – such as transport and packaging – but are not directly carried out by the industry.
Although the global pharmaceutical packaging market contributes a smaller portion of global waste, this contribution is expected to rise significantly, as the market is projected to grow by 6.1% annually up to 2027. This underscores the urgent need for sustainable solutions in pharmaceutical packaging.
The Role of CiPPPA in Addressing Sustainability Challenges
The report outlines the sustainability goals and challenges for primary, secondary, and tertiary packaging. Primary packaging, which is in direct contact with the drug product, must maintain drug product safety and efficacy. While biobased materials are attractive and recyclable, they often have low barrier performance, making them unsuitable for specific primary packaging purposes. Additionally, some primary packaging choices, like blister packs for oral pills made with aluminium and plastic, are usually non-recyclable. Medical contamination further complicates the reuse of certain primary packaging units.
This is where CiPPPA steps in. The initiative aims to address the recyclability of primary pharmaceutical packaging. Duncan Flack, Chairman of CiPPPA, explains, “Re-use is nigh on impossible because of patient safety, so the focus is applied to ensuring all materials are minimised to the lowest safe level, that they contain – where possible and allowed – recycled content, and that they are made from recyclable materials. Currently, there is very limited availability of any recycling capabilities for medicinal waste. This is why the launch of initiatives such as CiPPPA are so important to the industry.”
The CPHI Trend Report underscores the critical need for sustainable solutions in pharmaceutical packaging. CiPPPA members drive industry-wide change by minimising materials, incorporating recycled content, and using recyclable materials. Their efforts are crucial in ensuring that the pharmaceutical industry can meet the growing demand for sustainable packaging solutions without compromising patient safety or product efficacy.