Consumers are placing great importance on eco-friendly plastic packaging products, specifically – and increasingly – on sustainable packaging solutions that can be disposed of in an environmentally friendly way. At Gerresheimer, therefore, innovation and environmental protection go hand in hand. A pioneer in the quest for greater sustainability, Gerresheimer offers an extensive standard range of plastic packaging and devices customized solutions made from PET, R-PET, and BIO-PET plastics.

With its high-quality packaging solutions made from glass and plastic, Gerresheimer serves all market segments of the international pharmaceutical and healthcare industry, also covering all aspects of beauty and hygiene. The company is conscious of its obligations to the circular economy and uses recycled materials to make plastic and glass packaging for pharmaceuticals.

PET and R-PET – making new from old

Most pharma- and healthcare products are packaged in bottles and containers made from polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, as the material is lightweight, versatile, easily moulded, and shatterproof. New packaging products can be manufactured from used PET, also known as R-PET (i.e. recycled polyethylene terephthalate). Gerresheimer has offered its PET ranges with various blends of recycled post-industrial and post-consumer materials (PCR) for years now and can produce containers made from up to 100 percent R-PET.

Stackable bottles – form follows function

Gerresheimer has developed a new, refillable plastic bottle made on behalf of a major customer. The bottle has straight edges like a cube, offering four sides. The result is impressive: a container that is exceptionally lightweight for this volume and can be stacked on top of one another in a simple and space-saving manner thanks to a recess in the bottom, which in turn reduces the CO2 emissions during transport.

BioPack – innovation and environmental protection go hand in hand

Right from the outset, BIO-PET containers are made from sustainable, renewable biomaterials such as sugarcane. First, the ethanol is extracted from the sugarcane plant, before being dried and dehydrated to transform it into green ethylene. This then goes to the polymerization plants, where it is converted into green polyethylene (PE) or PET. Under the name BioPack, Gerresheimer has launched a broad spectrum of plastic packaging for drugs and cosmetics made of biomaterial instead of conventional PE or PET. Innovation and environmental protection go hand in hand.

Gerresheimer will be showcasing its sustainable and innovative glass and plastic packaging at booth B60/B64, hall 7.2 at the Pharmapack Exhibition in Paris on February 5 and 6, 2020.