Strategies & Challenges for Delivering more Sustainable and Recyclable Packaging to the Medical Community

Development of bio-therapeutics often rely on small-scale single-use bioreactors made from plastics that include versatile connectors for easy connection and fast turnaround. As bio-therapeutic development continues to grow, industry front runners have defined challenging sustainability environmental targets with regards to emissions and are now looking at circularity targets. One of the common objections to plastic circularity in healthcare is the perceived “downcycling” effect of mechanical recycling, although there are material formulations that employ mechanically recycled materials, such as polycarbonate, where material from consumer articles are recovered, granulated and mixed-in with materials targeting demanding applications such as electronic devices. Therefore, the aim of this work was to collaboratively establish the technical feasibility of a closed loop recycling concept in bioprocess applications, using Makrolon® as a material of construction for bioreactor vessels.

Advances in auto-injector design now provide the option to use both 1ml and 2.25mL syringes plus employ technology to adapt to varying fill volumes and viscosities all whilst maintaining the same device form. This provides a solution for the formulation changes that take place during drug development, clinical trials, and life cycle management. When looking at the performance of any parenteral injection device, the drug containment systems play a crucial role. Auto-injector performance and functionality is strictly linked to key dimensional tolerances of glass syringes. We will illustrate the importance of syringe design to ensure these requirements and how monitoring dimensional parameters at an early stage of the development is key to ensure the intended use and ultimately work to preserve patients’ safety. Benefits of tight collaboration between device designer and manufacturer will also be discussed

In this webinar, originally part of Pharmapack Europe 2022, Bernd Garska, Technical Marketing Manager Healthcare EMEA, Covestro AG discusses how until now, drug delivery devices would require tedious sorting with a variety of materials used in various components. Now, with an all-polycarbonate device, minimal sorting would be required. At the end of life, the unit can be quickly and easily disassembled, then sorted into contaminated and non-contaminated components for easier disposal or recycling. This helps reduce medical waste while reducing the carbon footprint of the overall drug delivery device. Covestro’s new line of Climate Neutral healthcare-grade polycarbonates, Makrolon RE, bring new levels of performance and sustainability to the medical device market with an all-polycarbonate device.

In this webinar, originally broadcast as a part of Pharmapack Europe 2022, Mayur Patel, Digital Health Expert, PA Consulting discusses in this session how every day 14,000 tons of medical waste are generated at healthcare facilities across the U.S. alone. Up to 20-25% of this waste can be attributed to plastic packaging and plastic products. Increasingly there are movements towards sustainable packaging solutions in the consumer sector. The businesses that minimise waste and maximise resource utilisation through a combination of reuse, redistribution, and recycling will lead the future economy. But can such actions translate to the medical industry without compromising the safety, efficacy, and sterility of life-saving therapeutics? This session will outline: Efficiently Designed Drug Delivery Devices Smart Technology for Labels and Instructions Modular and Sustainable Packaging Solutions Smart Supply Chain Technologies

In this webinar, originally broadcast as part of the Pharmapack Europe show, Katsuyuki Takeuchi, Associate Product Manager, Terumo Europe NV will discuss how the world, and in particular the world of Plastics needs to change its Consumption, Production and Value Creation practices. Global Challenges such as Climate Change, disturbed ecosystems and scarce resources for a growing population call for a fundamental shift in Mindset in order to rethink our current economical approaches. At Covestro, they have a strong vision and will fully embrace circularity and will be Fully Circular. We are doing this by embedding circularity throughout the Company, becoming a shaping force in the Industry and contributing to a Greenhouse gas neutral economy.

In this webinar, originally broadcast as part of the Pharmapack Europe show, Corinne Ondo, Head of Sourcing Production Materials Biotech & Healthcare Innovation, Merck discusses how Healthcare is currently improving packaging reuse in its supply chain by working in close partnership with its suppliers. By 2030 Merck has pledged to lower its indirect emissions along the entire value chain (Scope 3) by 52% per euro value-added. To achieve this goal, Healthcare is continuously engaging with its suppliers to find opportunities to reduce their emissions, through (for instance) a more circular economy. (One example of packaging reuse in a GMP environment will be showcased during the conference).