With EcoLine, Gerresheimer demonstrates criteria in the development and production of its well-known plastic container series for solid and liquid medications which play an important role in designing sustainable packaging solutions and thus contribute to greater environmental compatibility.

"You can't recycle a classic x-large blister pack. But more and more consumers are paying attention to environmentally friendly products and to the fact that they are packaged in an environmentally friendly way or at least in an environmentally compatible way. I think that's good, and I do the same myself," says Niels Düring, Global Executive Vice President Primary Packaging Plastic. "This is also confirmed by our customers who are looking for a packaging solution for their pharmaceutical product in which the contents can be used and stored safely. Our EcoLine concept helps them find a solution that optimally combines quality and sustainability by ensuring tight and light solutions.”

The Gerresheimer EcoLine concept includes the criteria of weight, volume, material and recyclability. It can be applied to all existing Gerresheimer product families such as Duma, Triveni and to the dropper bottles as well as to the PET bottles.

Weight
How heavy does the individual packaging have to be to provide optimum protection for the contents? A lower tare weight saves transport and energy costs and consequently reduces CO2 emissions.

Volume
What volumes are really required? The container should be sized to hold its contents but have as little void space as possible. This also has a direct influence on the material consumption, transport and storage costs for a product.

Material
Which plastic material can be used? Due to the overall increase in environmental awareness, consumers pay more attention today to environmentally friendly packaging. Where feasible, resource-saving, or recycled materials should be used. Gerresheimer offers both possibilities.

Recyclability
Recyclability begins with material selection. The materials and natural resources that Gerresheimer uses in its production can be recycled. Likewise, Gerresheimer produces plastic containers from recycled materials. For example, PET bottles, which can be made from up to 100% recycled plastic. With BioPack, Gerresheimer offers a plastic made from sugar cane, a renewable raw material.

Gerresheimer specializes in the development and production of pharmaceutical primary and special packaging made of glass and plastic. In both areas, the company is pursuing ambitious targets in terms of sustainability, because in both development and production, sustainable criteria can ensure that less energy is consumed, and production is more resource efficient.

Caption: According to the EcoLine criteria, all known Gerresheimer product families made of plastic can be developed and produced sustainably.