File

Healthcare

Medicines and self-care products are mainly sold in pharmacies, drugstores, and supermarkets, with the most commonly used types of packaging being blisters, cardboard boxes, and jars (made of plastic or glass) and tubes. There are various factors that limit the scope for modifying medicine packaging. For example, about 95 percent of products are manufactured abroad and sold in their original packaging in the Netherlands. On top of that, medicine packaging must meet strict requirements on patient safety and product information set by national and international regulators.

Vincent Balk

Project manager Contact us

Trends and challenges

The most important developments affecting packaging in the healthcare sector are:

Strict laws and regulations stand in the way of rapid and major changes to medicine packaging.
Due to the strict laws and regulations that apply to medicines, it is sometimes difficult to make major adjustments. Sustainable packaging is not only about reducing or changing packaging materials. Look for example also at the production process, transport and how your company deals with industrial waste. Click here for more information and tips.
Digitisation.
In the longer term (2030), the industry aims to completely replace paper leaflets with better digital alternatives.
Full recyclability of packaging.
The industry wants to bring fully recyclable packaging to the market. Because of its barrier properties, the pharmaceutical sector uses relatively much PVC for blisters, often combined with an aluminium blister. These materials are interferers in the recycling of plastic packaging. However, the sector indicates that there are no alternatives for this yet. KIDV has developed recycle checks with which a company can assess whether its packaging is recyclable or not.
Shift from glass to plastic bottles.
There is a trend towards replacing glass vials with plastic in new product registrations.
Most products are packaged or repackaged abroad.
Make demands on the supplier regarding the use of packaging material and the use of outer packaging. Try to avoid empty spaces in outer packaging. Ensure efficient logistics and reduce weight during transport. Click here for more information on material use and the packaging process.

Getting started with sustainable packaging

Anyone who starts working with sustainable packaging will often quickly discover that there is more to it than just using less or different material. To develop successful sustainable packaging, you have to look at the packaging process and logistics, at customers’ purchasing and disposal behaviour, and at your company’s packaging and sustainability strategy. For more information and tips, visit the KIDV Five Perspectives on Sustainable Packaging.

The industry bodies for the pharmaceutical and self-care product industries and the Central Agency for Drugstore Businesses (Centraal Bureau Drogisterijbedrijven) have each drawn up an 2019-2022 Sector Innovation Plan for Sustainable Packaging in close cooperation with KIDV. The plan sets out ambitions, objectives, and concrete measures to reduce the environmental impact of packaging, such as by using less material in packaging and by making packaging fully recyclable or reusable.