There is a rising demand from both consumers and healthcare professionals for packaging that combines functionality with sustainability.
Getty images
Key takeaways:
There is a rising demand from both consumers and healthcare professionals for packaging that combines functionality with sustainability.
Opella’s approach to sustainable packaging is built on the eco-design and circularity: remove,reduce, reuse, replace, and recycle.
Building circularity into the everyday experience is the goal of Circularity in Primary Pharmaceutical Packaging (CiPPPA).
Sustainable packaging manufacturers are increasingly allocating resources to research and development aimed at addressing the challenges of producing environmentally responsible packaging solutions. There is a rising demand from both consumers and healthcare professionals for packaging that combines functionality with sustainability. In response, industry players are prioritizing the development of pharmaceutical packaging that reduces environmental impact and enhances recyclability, including the integration of recycled plastics and glass, according to a new study by InsightAce Analytic Pvt. Ltd. These efforts have prompted industry analysts to put a value of $372 billion on the global sustainable pharmaceutical packaging market by 2034.1
Commitments Should be Realistic
“Such commitments to sustainability, which used to be largely aspirational in nature, are becoming grounded strategies, backed by the necessary scientific and engineering resources, and tied to key performance indicators for success,” says Ryan Stolzenbach, program manager, Sustainability, Global Packaging, AbbVie.
For example, AbbVie was actively working toward sustainable packaging solutions as part of its broader environmental sustainability initiatives to have 100% of its packaging recyclable or made from recycled content by 2025. Stolzenbach says those metrics were definitely more aspirational in nature.
“They were primarily designed to kick-start our sustainability journey before we had a firm grasp of what would be required to achieve that goal. AbbVie is now taking action with new targets in mind, and with systems and grounded strategies being put in place across the organization to support and ensure a continuing trend of success,” he explains.
At the core of global consumer healthcare company Opella’s (formerly part of Sanofi) commitment is achieving global B Corp Certification. The certification follows an intensive four-year transformation effort, during which Opella has redefined its approach to sustainability, innovation, and governance in all countries across its global operations.
“Achieving B Corp Certification — a first for a large, global consumer healthcare company — is a recognition of our strategic commitment to long-term impact and reinforces our Sustainable Care Pledge, which guides how we innovate and operate and our focus on making self-care simple, trusted, and sustainable,” says Arnaud Constant, global packaging innovation head at Opella. As of 2024, 97% of Opella’s paper-based packaging comes from certified or recycled materials.
“At Opella we believe there is a lot that can be done,” he adds. “Self-care has a critical role to play in advancing the sustainability of health systems by supporting healthier populations, easing pressure on healthcare systems, and helping reduce the environmental footprint of care delivery. This certification is only the start of a longer journey.”
Opella will re-certify its B Corp Certification every three years and is prioritizing specific programs, such as circularity.
Embedding Circularity
Constant says that Opella’s approach to sustainable packaging is built on the eco-design and circularity: remove,reduce, reuse, replace, and recycle. To achieve this, the company is focused on minimizing material usage, phasing out virgin plastic in favor of bio-sourced alternatives, and designing recyclable-ready packaging, including programs on blister.
“These principles are at the heart of our sustainability roadmap as we work to eliminate waste from our manufacturing site processes while reducing the environmental impact of our product lifecycles,” he says.
What is needed to ensure a successful circularity/takeback program are environmentally responsible materials.Getty imagesConstant points to Opella’s partnership with TerraCycle as an example of how waste is being eliminated, and how circularity is being embedded across the lifecycle of its products. The partnership offers consumers a solution for recycling hard-to-recycle packaging. Launched in 2021 with just two of its brands, the program expanded in 2024 to cover Opella’s entire portfolio of brands sold in North America. Through the program, consumers can sign up online, collect used product packaging, and ship it directly to TerraCycle. There, the materials are sorted and transformed into durable new items – such as storage containers, shipping pallets, or outdoor furniture – keeping valuable resources in use and out of landfills.
“This initiative reflects our belief that sustainability should be practical, participatory, and built into the everyday experience of our brands,” says Constant.
Building circularity into the everyday experience is the goal of Circularity in Primary Pharmaceutical Packaging (CiPPPA). Launched last April in the UK, CiPPPA promotes circularity for pharmaceutical waste across the entire value chain. AbbVie, a member of CiPPPA, is following a roadmap toward circularity in the form of takeback programs.
“Packaging technology has advanced far more rapidly than our recycling technology and infrastructure,” says Stolzenbach. “A proper takeback scheme should be designed to bridge that gap; prove that the waste can be captured and managed responsibly; have an end goal of being self-sustaining at scale; and ultimately become obsolete. The first point is relatively easy with enough resources to back it, but this is where many existing programs end, and why we see so many programs pop up and then fade away regardless of how successful they may be at capturing the target waste.”
“They simply aren’t designed for longevity due to the costs involved.” He explains that the second and third points are somewhat synonymous: A self-sustaining scheme will ultimately mean that the takeback scheme is no longer needed.
Keep Design Simple
What is needed to ensure a successful circularity/takeback program are environmentally responsible materials. Driven by growing concerns over environmental degradation, resource depletion, and the ecological impact of packaging waste, consumers are favoring packaging solutions produced from recycled materials such as paper, cardboard, and plastics, as well as biodegradable and compostable alternatives. These preferences are expected to play a key role in propelling the growth of the worldwide sustainable pharmaceutical packaging market.1
“Sustainable packaging is simple packaging,” says Stolzenbach. “Utilize basic materials, as few of them as possible, in as small a footprint as possible. Design for end-of-life, balancing circularity and environmental footprint. All of our situations are different, but the end goal is the same; promote circularity while reducing resource consumption.”
Balancing cost savings with sustainability is only one side of the coin. The other is balancing safety and usability with sustainability.Getty imagesConstant says Opella’s strategy for more sustainable packaging aims to balance short-term improvements with longer-term innovations, combining incremental changes with disruptive breakthroughs. He says the company is exploring more sustainable packaging, such as a 100% bio-based PE bottle.
Opella also believes that personalization and sustainability can go hand in hand. In 2024, they eliminated printed leaflets and introduced QR codes for food supplement e-labeling, reducing material use without removing consumer access to information. Constant says they anticipate doing the same with medicinal products. “As a member of the PulPac Dry-Moulded Bottle & Blister Collective, we are co-developing next-generation paper-based materials designed to meet both the safety standards of healthcare and the environmental demands of a circular economy,” says Constant. “These innovations prove that smart, consumer-centric packaging can — and must — also be sustainable.”
Stolzenbach agrees that personalized and smart package should be intelligent enough to inform the end user on how to dispose of the package so it does not end up in a landfill or incinerator, particularly in a hospital setting. “Modular packaging design systems can be leveraged to take advantage of the benefits of standardization while creating a unique and personalized final product/package,” he says.
Barriers to Entry
There are two significant barriers toward creating and using sustainable packaging: cost and regulations. Volatility in raw material prices presents a significant obstacle for the sustainable healthcare packaging industry, according to the InsightAce study. The production of eco-friendly packaging often relies on specialized materials that are less widely available, more complex, and generally more expensive than conventional alternatives. Price fluctuations in these inputs directly increase manufacturing costs, potentially undermining the price competitiveness of sustainable packaging.
“I agree that some strategies can be costly but allowing that to drive a decision to sit on the sidelines won’t just cost a competitive advantage, it will ultimately create an artificial barrier to entry into a growing number of markets, limiting opportunities for business growth,” says Stolzenbach.
He suggests one effective strategy for driving positive impact is simply to use less. “Reduce a package’s weight and/or size, then measure that impact across the supply chain,” he says. “Light-weighting, right-sizing, and eliminating unnecessary components are ways to drive dramatic impact, and often lead to cost savings. It’s not flashy, but it is very effective.”
Constant agrees, “We try to develop initiative that combine cost saving and sustainability, like light-weighting or compact by design.”
Balancing cost savings with sustainability is only one side of the coin. The other is balancing safety and usability with sustainability. At Pharmapack 2025, Duncan Flack, chairman of CiPPPA, said that as regulations tighten and consumer awareness grows, the pharmaceutical sector faces increasing pressure to develop packaging solutions that balance product safety and environmental sustainability.2 And while regulations provide a framework for improvement, there remains a considerable gap between the design of recyclable packaging and the practical implementation of effective recycling systems.3
In an effort to bridge gaps, AbbVie’s current set of targets for packaging are largely aligned to the European Union’s Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which went into full force this past February. PPWR aims to reduce the use of primary raw materials and make recycling of all packaging on the EU market economically viable by 2030.4
“The modern wave of waste and sustainability legislation has become a real driver of change for our industry,” says Stolzenbach. “In the not-so-distant past, sustainability was a ‘nice to have,’ making it exceedingly difficult to advance in a heavily regulated industry dominated by safety, efficacy, and performance. Now, we are seeing legislation that can be leveraged to shift the narrative from an aspirational desire to an operational need. While these pieces of legislation are far from perfect and certainly can be a burden, they can also be used as a unifying driver for change throughout our industry.”
Constant concurs, “Though we are ambitious, we know as well that there are some challenges to overcome to bring sustainability to life, especially in our regulated industry where quality, safety, and performance for our consumers are essential.”
Researched List: Blister Machines for Life Sciences
Need a blister machine for life sciences packaging? Our curated list features companies serving pharmaceutical, medical device, nutraceutical, and cosmetic industries. Download to access company names, locations, machine specifications, descriptions, and more.
Looking for CPG-focused digital transformation solutions? Download our editor-curated list from PACK EXPO featuring top companies offering warehouse management, ERP, digital twin, and MES software with supply chain visibility and analytics capabilities—all tailored specifically for CPG operations.
What is needed to ensure a successful circularity/takeback program are environmentally responsible materials.Getty images
