Closed loop recycling: The enabling path to resource-efficient pharmaceutical transport packaging
Reduce tray-related GHG emissions and waste
The pharmaceutical industry has set ambitious sustainability targets that include decarbonization and increasing resource efficiency. At the same time, pharmaceutical manufacturers and their suppliers must maintain high quality and safety standards. SCHOTT Pharma has co-developed an initiative for closed loop recycling of the plastic trays used to package and transport its drug containment solutions. Closed-loop in this context refers to the collection and recycling of used PP trays and the subsequent reuse of the resulting recyclate to manufacture new trays.
What makes this special? Thanks to a segregated and tightly controlled material flow, the closed-loop system enables the production of trays with recycled content while maintaining full control over material composition. This ensures that the trays can be reused for the same quality-critical pharmaceutical applications. By overcoming today's reliance on virgin materials, the closed-loop approach supports the use of recycled content and advances the conservation of valuable virgin resources.
Developing resource-efficient technologies for the pharma supply chain
SCHOTT Pharma identified single-use transport trays as a significant contributor to its Scope 3 emissions. These high-quality, corrugated polypropylene (PP) trays serve as intermediate packaging to protect vials, cartridges, or ampoules during storage and transport to SCHOTT Pharma’s customers’ drug filling operations. The transport trays are usually disposed of or downcycled after use, and new trays are made from virgin, high-quality PP, which creates waste and contributes to emissions.
To create a new, circular solution appropriate for pharmaceutical manufacturing, SCHOTT Pharma partnered with Corplex, a packaging manufacturer, and with Takeda and Pfizer respectively, both leading pharmaceutical companies. The partners conducted a detailed risk assessment, executed a ton-scale production study and demonstrated equivalency for trays from the closed-loop recycling system. A third-party investigated the environmental benefits using life-cycle assessment methodology. As a result, a closed loop recycling system was established that builds upon the plastics recycling knowledge gained in other industries, while addressing the specific needs of the pharma industry.
“For nearly 50 years, we have helped industrial companies integrate recycled material into their production cycles,” said Lucas van der Schalk, CEO of Corplex. “So far, use of recycled material has remained an exception in the pharma industry. We are excited about the jointly established solution paving the way for recycled material in pharma packaging.”
"This partnership highlights Takeda’s dedication to environmental sustainability by addressing the pharmaceutical industry’s dual challenge of reducing environmental impact while meeting patients’ unmet needs with uncompromising safety and quality standards. Collaborating with innovative business partners like SCHOTT Pharma is vital to advancing Takeda’s ambitious goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions across its value chain by 2040. Together, we are fostering meaningful change that benefits both patients and the planet," said Ester Lovsin Barle, Global Head Product Sustainability and Stewardship at Takeda.
The partners developed a large-scale pilot program pioneering tray-to-tray recycling as closed-loop system. The pilot focused on pharma compliance, operational efficiency, and environmental impact assessment.
Pharma compliance: assessing the risks of recycling in a closed loop
The pharma supply chain has traditionally used only virgin resins to produce plastic parts or packaging, including transport packaging, because virgin material is considered a controlled and traceable source. Recycled resin coming from an uncontrolled source could be contaminated or mixed with a different material. Using closed loop recycling, however, enables strict control of the material to mitigate potential product or patient risk. In a closed loop, the transport trays are collected at the point of use and shipped to a reprocessing location in a separated stream. The incoming material is inspected and shredded so that it can be made into granulate and then used to make new, high-quality trays.
The team performed a risk assessment to analyze potential causes for contamination or foreign material along the process and whether reprocessing of the polypropylene would cause degradation of the plastic. Degradation could result in the tray not meeting specifications for mechanical strength and stiffness or having unexpected volatile organic compound (VOC) outgassing, for example. Both the recycled polypropylene granulate and the trays containing recycled polypropylene were carefully evaluated and found to have acceptable properties.
“Ultimately, data and insights from teams across the involved companies enabled us to conclude that the material produced through our closed-loop system is as safe for use as virgin material,” said Philipp Ludihuser, Sustainability Manager at SCHOTT Pharma.
Operational efficiency: lessons learned in the real-world pilot
The partners organized a large-scale, real-world pilot program to test the closed loop recycling concept. They discussed with the operators how the trays could be flattened and where to place the dedicated collection box on the manufacturing floor.
“To succeed, you need a collection system that works. You need a quality concept that is trusted by all involved,” explained Philipp Ludihuser. “We needed to get everyone on board – from the shop floor to the department heads.”
They also planned how to store the collected trays and calculated the volume that would be cost-efficient and avoid unnecessarily high environmental impact of the return shipment. Around 20 tons of used packaging material were returned in a clean and controlled manner from production environments at Takeda, Pfizer and SCHOTT Pharma to Corplex, where new trays were manufactured using the material.
“Co-innovating in a closed loop setup was an interesting new experience for all: everyone is both a customer and a supplier at the same time. This promotes a focus on joint success,” said Philipp Ludihuser.
After use, transport trays are flattened and stacked for controlled, efficient collection in the closed-loop recycling system. Image: SCHOTT Pharma.
Environmental impact: carbon emission reduction benefits
A peer-reviewed life cycle assessment was performed by the independent LCA Centre in accordance with ISO norms 14040 and 14044, as well as the acknowledged standards of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) Global Warming Potential (GWP 100a). The assessment concluded that trays containing 70% recycled polypropylene from the closed-loop collection reduced GHG emissions by up to 50% compared to trays made completely from virgin polypropylene. Please find more details on the PCF calculation and comparison at: https://www.schott-pharma.com/en/about-us/sustainability/studies/closed-loop-recycling.
This calculation confirmed that there is a measurable reduction in greenhouse gas emissions. In addition, the system reduces waste and the need for non-renewable, fossil resources.
Lessons Learned: the first step in a journey
A lesson learned during the pilot was that the industry still tends to attach paper labels on plastic packaging items. This practice ignores existing eco-design principles and leads to poor recyclability. The solution is obvious; the application of labels made from the same plastic as the packaging item. This is a call for action to all partners along the pharmaceutical value chain.
“Streamlining materials used for labels and packaging items is key to support high quality recycling, safeguard valuable resources and avoid incineration,” said Magalie Peralba, Innovation Manager at Corplex.
Next steps: scale up
Following the success of the joint, ton-scale pilot program, the closed loop recycling system will be scaled up.
“Our objective is to reduce environmental impact while delivering our products and services without compromising quality. The successful pilot study has demonstrated that emissions reductions are possible and that we should challenge the use of recycled materials in a production area previously considered unfeasible. I look forward to bringing the pilot into routine operations with our business partners at SCHOTT Pharma and Corplex. Sharing the results with our peers will help in challenging other barriers for decarbonization in our healthcare ecosystem,” said Johanna Jobin, Global Head of Environment and Sustainability at Takeda.
“Managing waste in a responsible manner is part of environmental stewardship at Pfizer. Together with SCHOTT Pharma and Corplex we successfully pioneered closed-loop recycling of corrugated polypropylene trays and are now ready to take the next steps,” said Isabelle Colson, Senior Director of S2P Global Strategic Sourcing at Pfizer.
How to participate in SCHOTT Pharma’s closed loop recycling initiative
SCHOTT Pharma is ready to partner with others in the value chain to reduce environmental impact without compromising product quality by multiplying the use of the successful closed-loop recycling system.
Contact the SCHOTT Pharma Sustainability team to learn more.
At a glance
- SCHOTT Pharma launched a closed-loop recycling initiative focused on the recovery and reuse of production materials in pharmaceutical packaging manufacturing.
- The initiative is designed to return suitable production waste materials to the manufacturing process.
- By increasing the use of recovered materials, the initiative aims to support more efficient resource utilization.
- Close collaboration across the value chain is an important factor in enabling material recovery and reuse.
- The initiative forms part of SCHOTT Pharma's broader circularity efforts in pharmaceutical manufacturing.
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Philipp Ludihuser