Ask Plastic Ingenuity: How Can Healthcare Packaging Become More Sustainable?

Developing innovative, sustainable packaging solutions for healthcare products can be difficult in an industry that is heavily regulated and slow to change. Patient safety is a critical priority. Yet, an abundance of caution has favored over-engineered packages as a way to reduce risk. In the current climate, healthcare brands are beginning to realize that this practice is no longer acceptable because it can cause unnecessary waste. The challenge is to balance increasing pressures to enhance sustainability with the requirement to protect medical devices and products that help save lives.
 
As a responsible packaging provider, Plastic Ingenuity specializes in custom thermoforming for healthcare and other industries, working to help brands become more sustainable. When discussing sustainability, we reference the United Nations definition: “Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” We believe common understanding and an aligned objective are necessary to support the journey to sustainability. Here we share insights and responses to some frequently asked questions about the healthcare sector.
 
Q: What are some of the unique challenges facing the healthcare industry as its sustainability journey begins?
A: It’s hard to imagine modern healthcare without plastic. Plastic has certain functions that are very difficult, if not impossible, to replicate with alternative substrates. For example, plastic is very lightweight. It has excellent attributes for sterilization. It can be formed or molded – and then reformed or remolded – into a variety of shapes and sizes. Additionally, plastic has carbon footprint advantages, especially when compared to aluminum, glass and paper.¹ However, upstream packaging innovation and downstream system interventions are crucial to unlock circular, sustainable outcomes for plastic packaging.
 
Escalating pressures to become more sustainable are coming from a number of sources. Group purchasing organizations (GPOs) and their environmentally preferred procurement (EPP) policies are major influencers in the healthcare industry. EPPs are being integrated into contract tenders, providing motivation for life sciences organizations to increase focus on the sustainability of their products and packaging. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), such as Practice Greenhealth, are providing a framework and resources for the sector to leverage sustainability initiatives. Legislation is another major influencer. Additionally, healthcare service providers (HSPs) are committing to zero or reduced waste goals, putting a renewed focus on end-of-life outcomes for medical device packaging.
 
End-of-life improvement is particularly relevant for applications that are used in clinical settings like a hospital. Nearly all of those materials are incinerated or go to landfill, but only about 15% of packaging waste from healthcare facilities is hazardous.² A growing focus on collection, or recovery, and emerging recycling technologies underscores the potential for a more circular packaging economy within the healthcare industry.
 
Q: Can you provide an overview of the current landscape for recycling medical device packaging?
A: There are a lot of barriers to recycling in healthcare facilities, including regulatory requirements constraining the use of post-consumer recycled (PCR) content in sterile barrier system (SBS) packaging. Today PCR may be used for secondary and tertiary packaging because those applications are less restricted. Recovered medical device packages are highly valuable, given the limited availability of PCR across industries, and they’re typically all virgin material.
 
Within the healthcare sector, there’s currently a lot of interest in developing a system to safely incorporate PCR materials into SBS packaging. Medical device manufacturers and engineers are optimistic about advanced recycling techniques and mass balance systems to unlock new opportunities. Advanced recycling, also called chemical or molecular recycling, is a suite of novel methods that focuses on hard-to-recycle materials. Purification, depolymerization and conversion techniques are used to break a polymer down to a precursor and/or remove impurities like colorants and additives.³
 
Another way to ensure performance and compliance is with mass balance systems. This chain-of-custody protocol tracks recycled content through manufacturing processes. Although it’s not possible to trace the exact recycled molecules, recycled plastic in manufacturing is recorded and balanced with certified recycled content in end products. Plastic Ingenuity recently received ISCC PLUS certification,⁴ verifying accuracy of our manufacturing processes through third-party audits, which means our healthcare customers can incorporate PCR from advanced recycling technologies into their packaging solutions.
 
Q: How might recycling contribute to but also differ from a medical brand’s sustainability efforts?
A: Recycling is an aspect of sustainability but it’s important to acknowledge that there is more to sustainability than recycling. For example, circularity is a process in which substrates continue to be used for multiple lifecycles. Minimizing waste and material usage are also key elements of sustainability.
 
Improving recovery rates of all packaging types is essential to achieve true circularity. Recycling collection systems for healthcare packages are lacking, especially in clinical settings. The healthcare industry is currently building recycling infrastructure from the ground up. It will be interesting to see strategies for how all types of materials get collected, aggregated and transported to a local recycling facility for reuse. Organizations like the Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) are supporting efforts to increase recovery in practice.
 
Closed-loop recycling, such as take-back programs, can be a creative solution when traditional recycling systems are not available. With this method, reclaimed items can be repurposed into new packaging materials. Although the logistics of closed-loop recycling programs may be complex, a life cycle assessment (LCA) can help determine if such programs have lower environmental impacts than alternate end-of-life outcomes.
 
Q: What tactics are helping healthcare brands transition to more sustainable solutions?
A: Package design plays a key role in the eventual likelihood of recovery for recycling. HPRC’s Design Guidance for Healthcare Plastics Recycling is an excellent resource to help create packaging optimized for circularity.
 
Additionally, packaging systems are being evaluated holistically to determine where reductions can be made. A minimalist approach can help reduce weight, footprint and material usage, increasing shipping and other downstream efficiencies that may limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. There may even be potential to enhance brand equity among sustainability-minded customers and consumers.
 
Beyond that, more sustainable healthcare packaging might include increasing recycled content, keeping valuable material out of landfills and recirculating in the economy, or it could be made with a more recyclable substrate. Common materials used for rigid healthcare packaging include PETG, HIPS, PET, PP, HDPE and PVC, yet many do not have existing robust recycling markets. Where possible, manufacturers are transitioning to materials that maintain functionality while also supporting sustainability efforts.
 
Q: What are some of the innovations that will make medical device packaging more sustainable in the near future?
A: New solutions are continually emerging as the healthcare industry seeks to implement more sustainable packaging options and infrastructure. Advanced recycling and mass balance systems are already in play, supporting efforts to reclaim traditionally hard-to-recycle materials.
 
Furthermore, Plastic Ingenuity is strengthening our ability to meet growing demand for our sustainability services. We are making significant investments in our equipment and broadening our PCR portfolio. We anticipate further development of PCR from recycled thermoforms, known as thermoform clean wash flake. We’re also committed to minimizing the carbon footprint of our operations and products, which will have an impact throughout the value chain. Through investments, partnerships and common goals, the healthcare packaging industry can advance to a truly circular economy.
 
References:
¹ McKinsey Report, Climate Impact of Plastics, 2022
² Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council, Hospital Waste Characterization
³ Closed Loop Partners, Transitioning to a Circular System for Plastics: Assessing Molecular Recycling Technologies in the United States and Canada, 2021
⁴ International Sustainability & Carbon Certification
 

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Zach Muscato is the Corporate Sustainability Manager for Plastic Ingenuity, a leading custom thermoformer based in Madison, Wisconsin, where he is responsible for helping packaging professionals realize their sustainability goals. Zach has dedicated his 20-year career to the thermoformed packaging industry with roles ranging from product development to commercial sales.