EU Regulators, Recycling, and Healthcare Plastics

Packaging suppliers speak about the openness of regulators to understand the slower nature of life science manufacturers in adopting more sustainable packaging.

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The need for environmental regulations should not be downplayed as the healthcare industry cannot ignore its environmental impact. However, it’s important that regulators understand the implications of potential legislation to avoid unintended consequences for patients, workers, and the environment.

[Editor’s Note: This is a follow-up to a recent post, Emerging EU Sustainability Regulations for Packaging. Additionally, answers below have been edited for brevity.]

At the virtual Medical Packaging Conference, Thierry Wagner, global director, regulatory & standards – healthcare at DuPont, and Dr. Isabelle Jenny, sustainability manager at Amcor Flexibles Europe Middle East and Africa, were asked whether EU regulators are open to hearing from the medical packaging community in cases where proposed rules may be moving too fast and could impact patient safety. This topic can be particularly concerning when it comes to requirements for using post-consumer recycled (PCR) content in new packaging.

Wagner: “Yes, I think regulators recognize [this issue]. In the packaging and packaging waste directive (PPWD), there is very clearly a rule which allows regulators to make implementing decisions, so that rules that will apply to other types of packaging wouldn't apply to medical and pharmaceutical packaging, because I think they recognize that the need for patient safety is first.

"And the medical and pharmaceutical industry is only a small percentage of plastic usage, but the requirements and the consequences for patients can be huge. I think they recognize that, but at the same time, we all need to advance, and I think they're right to say that.

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