Supply chain & logistics
circular models – whether through reusable passive shippers or returnable packaging – could offer both environmental and commercial benefits. But according to Rogerson, the emphasis on coordination is critical: “Circularity succeeds when the business case is built on both compliance and cost performance, and when every function agrees on what ‘success’ means before launch. The alignment is the multiplier.” Still, even the best ideas run into resistance. The safety-first mindset has served the industry well. But it also creates inertia, making it hard to test or adopt new models. And regulation isn’t entirely to blame. As Rogerson points out, global rules are not uniform in practice: “The EU’s Packaging & Packaging Waste Regulation is accelerating recyclability and design- for-recovery, while GS1’s Sunrise 2027 digital ID migration supports traceable, reusable assets. But in many markets, regulations are replicated without matching recovery or recycling infrastructure. Companies are left with compliance requirements that are technically unachievable locally.”
Temperature-controlled packaging is often designed for single use.
Explaining further Rogerson shares, “Cost perception will remain skewed. Regulatory sign-off will stall. Without a shared definition of success and role-specific KPIs that work together, sustainable packaging is layered on top of existing systems rather than built into them – and bolt-ons tend to fail under operational pressure.”
Suitability redefined
But the biggest shift may come not from how packaging performs in transit, but what happens once it’s done. At the moment, most temperature-controlled packaging is designed for single use. Once it arrives, it’s binned, or at best, sent for recycling. The result? An industry that generates high-value waste – often unrecoverable and unrefusable. Perhaps, this may even be a missed opportunity. After all, in other sectors we are increasingly seeing refill and reuse models that work – such as bringing back soap bottles to the store to refill. So why can’t we do that with pill bottles, or cold chain containers? According to Rogerson, circularity in pharma is less about theory and more about execution: “The solutions that work are those designed for controlled environments, such as depot-to-site or central pharmacy return lanes. These allow for closed-loop reuse of validated passive shippers, embedded reverse logistics with pre-printed return labels and GS1 2D codes, and proven recovery pathways for insulation and PCMs. The mistake many companies make is bolting these practices on to existing systems without first aligning the players.”
Pharmaceutical packaging is tightly controlled, and for good reason. But there’s growing recognition that
26
The road ahead It’s difficult to find a balance in a world where the pharmaceutical industry is developing rapidly. The global temperature-controlled packaging solution market is expected to rise from $13.8bn in 2025, to $23.6bn by 2035, according to Future Markets Insight. With the market growing so rapidly, it’s understandable as to why sustainability hasn’t been at the forefront. But this needs to change. What would help? Rogerson argues the answer
isn’t softer rules, but clearer ones. “Pharma doesn’t need ‘softer’ regulations; it needs clearer, more aligned ones that reward both performance and sustainability. Equivalence pathways for packaging changes, explicitly reuse recognition in GDP, sector- specific recyclability standards, circularity incentives and mandatory digital IDs for tertiary containers would make the biggest difference. But critically, regulators and industry must co-design these shifts with infrastructure realities in mind.” In the end, sustainability doesn’t have to mean compromising on safety – it means expanding the definition of what suitability really looks like. Yes, cold chain packaging must protect products. But it should also be resource-efficient, non-toxic and fit within a circular economy model. That’s no small ask, but most definitely not impossible
either. The tools already exist, as do the materials. And with the pressure that is ever growing, all that is needed now is alignment across all aspects of the supply chain – from procurement, to regulation, design and logistics. Or, as Rogerson neatly concludes: “When sustainability is treated as a parallel agenda instead of being integrated into the same performance and cost frameworks, every function solves for different outcomes – and nothing changes at scale.” ●
www.worldpharmaceuticals.net
Shutterstock AI/
Shutterstock.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85
