SCHOTT Pharma, Takeda and Corplex bring closed-loop recycling system for pharmaceutical vial trays into operations
Monday, September 7, 2026, Mainz, Germany
- SCHOTT Pharma, Takeda, and Corplex completed the first full delivery of vials in trays made with recycled material
- The pharmaceutical vial tray recycling system increases resource efficiency, substitutes fossil raw material, and improves waste management, while meeting pharma quality and regulatory requirements
- Expansion across Europe is planned, with support for more vial formats and broader industry adoption
"Moving from proof of concept to routine operations is a decisive step in commercializing circular economy approaches in pharma. This first full delivery demonstrates that we can uphold the industry’s uncompromising quality and patient‑safety standards while measurably improving resource efficiency and waste practice through controlled closed-loop recycling. Together with our partners, we are showing that innovation, environmental actions and compliance can reinforce one another," says Reinhard Mayer, CFO of SCHOTT Pharma.
Pharmaceutical supply chains are governed by stringent quality and safety requirements. Intermediary packaging such as polypropylene trays – used to protect drug containers during storage and transport – is typically single‑use and made from virgin materials to eliminate contamination risks. As a result, these high‑quality trays are usually disposed off after arrival at pharmaceutical filling sites. To reconcile these regulatory demands with the industry’s growing responsibility for resource efficiency (United Nations Sustainability Development Goal 12), SCHOTT Pharma, Takeda, and Corplex jointly developed a closed‑loop recycling system for use in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Over the past two years, the partners conducted a comprehensive risk assessment, carried out a ton‑scale production study, and demonstrated equivalency between trays from virgin material and trays from recycled material. The project builds on established plastic-recycling expertise from other industries, while carefully adapting every step to the specific requirements of pharmaceutical manufacturing.
Breakthrough for commercialization of pharma trays with recyclable material
The collaboration has now reached a key milestone with the successful transition from pilot phase to routine operations. In August 2026, the first full batch of vials in trays containing recycled material was delivered to Takeda’s manufacturing site in Singen, Germany. After Corplex reintroduced the closed‑loop material into new-tray production and SCHOTT Pharma deployed it as intermediate packaging, formal change controls and trials at Takeda confirmed the vial tray’s processability in pharmaceutical manufacturing. The results demonstrate that circular packaging materials can be reliably and compliantly integrated into pharmaceutical supply chains.
“At Takeda, we believe that collaborations with business partners like SCHOTT Pharma and Corplex are drivers of innovation, helping to decarbonize critical supply chains without disruption. This closed-loop approach provides environmental benefits confirmed by an ISO-compliant life cycle assessment and supports our ambitious goal of achieving net-zero emissions across our value chain by 2040,” states Johanna Jobin, Global Head of Environmental Sustainability & Compliance at Takeda.
This development helps prepare the industry for upcoming regulatory changes. The closed‑loop recycling system can divert tray waste from downcycling, incineration, and landfill, significantly reducing reliance on fossil‑based virgin polypropylene. At the same time, it introduces recycled material into intermediate packaging of equivalent assessed performance at an industrial scale for the first time.
A peer reviewed independent life cycle assessment conducted by The LCA Centre in October 2024 indicates that, under the conditions assessed for this project, trays made with 70% recycled polypropylene can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 50% compared with equivalent trays made entirely from virgin polypropylene.1 The closed-loop recycling system contributes to Scope 3, Category 1 (Purchased Goods and Services) emission reductions across the value chain – including tray production by Corplex, use by SCHOTT Pharma as intermediate packaging, and deployment for vial shipments to Takeda.
“By engineering trays with up to 70% recycled polypropylene sourced from a controlled loop, we protect product integrity while giving high‑value material a new life. This milestone validates the design and process controls needed to scale recycled content for the rigorous demands of pharmaceutical manufacturing," says Lucas van der Schalk, CEO of Corplex.
Enabling broader adoption of recyclable packaging in pharma
SCHOTT Pharma is now ready to extend the closed-loop recycling scheme to additional pharmaceutical customers across Europe and support their transitions to vial deliveries in trays made from recycled material. The offering currently covers standard packaging configurations for 2R, 6R, 10R, 20R, and 30R ISO vial formats.
In parallel, the company continues to advance the standardization and further development of its recycling scheme, including solutions for paper‑labeled and colored trays.
1 Comparative LCA study between virgin and recycled pharma trays prepared by The LCA Centre in accordance with ISO 14040 and ISO 14044 and applying the IPCC GWP 100a method, commissioned by SCHOTT Pharma and Corplex, dated October 2024. The assessment covered the specific tray design and the closed-loop collection and recycling process used for trays supplied to Takeda in Germany. Further information on the study methodology, scope, comparison scenario, system boundaries and key assumptions is available in the study summary at https://www.schott-pharma.com/en/about-us/sustainability/studies/closed-loop-recycling.
About SCHOTT Pharma
Human health matters. That is why SCHOTT Pharma designs containment solutions grounded in science to ensure that medications are safe and easy to use for people around the world. Every minute, more than 30,000 people receive an injection packed in a SCHOTT Pharma product. The portfolio comprises drug containment solutions and delivery systems for injectable drugs ranging from prefillable glass and polymer syringes to cartridges, vials, and ampoules. Every day, a team of around 5,000 people from over 65 nations works at SCHOTT Pharma to contribute to global health. The company is represented in all main pharmaceutical hubs with 17 manufacturing sites in Europe, North and South America, and Asia. With over 1,000 patents and technologies developed in-house and a state-of-the-art R&D center in Switzerland, the company is focused on developing innovations for the future. Currently, SCHOTT Pharma has over 1,800 customers including the top 30 leading pharma manufacturers for injectable drugs. In the fiscal year 2025, the company generated revenue of EUR 986 million. SCHOTT Pharma has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 2023 and is part of the SCHOTT Group, a company of the Carl Zeiss Foundation, whose purpose is to promote research and teaching in the STEM fields of mathematics, computer science, natural sciences, and technology. Further information at www.schott-pharma.com
Lea Kaiser
PR & Communications Manager
Research Gate