PACKAGING
W
hile such innovation often starts in consumer goods, it’s now reverberating through pharmaceutical manufacturing, where packaging material innovation and
automation must go hand in hand to meet sustainability targets without compromising on compliance or performance. When companies talk about sustainable packaging, the first thought is often what material can we exchange for something greener. Take LOG Pharma Primary Packaging’s ‘Barrier Eco Line’ as a strong case in point. By partnering with Dow and its HEALTH+ resins, LOG achieved a bottle that is up to 30 per cent lighter than conventional HDPE bottles, while still providing the barrier performance required to protect moisture- or oxygen-sensitive formulations. From the barrier performance perspective, LOG also states its lighter bottle delivers twice the moisture barrier of standard HDPE.
Some firms are exploring wood, bamboo, fungi-derived or fiber-based materials for secondary or tertiary packaging. Think cardboard super-structures or mold-formed inserts, for example, because they reduce fossil-based plastic and make recycling easier. In one case study, switching to a lighter board instead of a heavier coated recycled option cut packaging carbon footprint by 50 per cent. Pharmaceutical packaging is under mounting
pressure from regulators, brand reputation concerns and consumer demand to cut its environmental footprint. The sector is already moving away from single-use materials, but much of this work is being framed as testing, trials and pilots as companies evaluate reusable
THE TWO SIDES TO SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING IN PHARMACEUTICALS
By Beth Ragdale, Software Business Manager, Beckhoff Automation UK
UK-based materials company, Xampla, recently announced a £14 million funding round to accelerate plant-protein-based packaging alternatives
and renewable alternatives before widescale deployment. Part of the reason adoption is cautious is
the technical complexity of pharmaceutical packaging. The multi-layer constructions, tight barrier and sterility requirements, and stringent stability and regulatory validation mean material changes require extensive testing.
THE OTHER HALF One of the less visible but critically important areas is how these new packaging formats are manufactured and how production lines adapt to them, while simultaneously driving down resource consumption. Automation offers a lever here. Manufacturing
lines are among the biggest consumers of energy, HVAC, cleanroom operation and material waste in a pharmaceutical plant. According to a report by Mitsubishi Electric Europe, the pharmaceutical sector produces
20 MAY 2026 | FACTORY&HANDLINGSOLUTIONS
55 per cent more greenhouse gases than automotive. Yet automation and digitalisation are already showing what’s possible. Through Pharma 4.0 strategies in packaging,
material handling and process control, companies are achieving higher yield, less waste and leaner operations. GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), for instance, has embraced advanced robotics and automation in its facilities, where collaborative robots now work alongside human operators to package finished dosage forms. The result? GSK reports higher throughput,
consistent quality and fewer repetitive strain injuries. The same integrated sensor networks also enable predictive maintenance, reducing unplanned downtime and energy waste. These gains extend beyond packaging lines. In one biopharma facility, adding wireless sensors to steam traps cut 230 metric tons of CO2 and saved around US $34,000 annually, all by targeting a single asset type.
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