Can Pharma Barrier Bottles Be Both Sustainable and Affordable?

The pharmaceutical industry faces significant challenges in its mission to provide safe, effective, and affordable products. Achieving this goal is particularly demanding for suppliers to the drug industry, which must consistently meet stringent standards while controlling costs. While traditional barrier solutions safeguard medication potency and prevent degradation, the pharmaceutical packaging industry is under increasing pressure to meet stringent sustainability goals. This includes reducing environmental impact through the use of eco-friendly materials, promoting circularity, and minimizing waste – all while adhering to strict regulatory standards. LOG’s R&D team approached the challenge with an innovative mindset, carefully evaluating multiple factors including permeation, polymer structure, and environmental conditions. Initially, the team explored alternative materials to replace plastic, but concluded that these alternatives would lead to higher greenhouse gas emissions. Instead, they chose to optimize their existing plastic solutions by focusing on reducing material weight, extending shelf life, and improving production processes. The Innovation: Lighter, Cheaper, and Sustainable LOG’s breakthrough came from enhancing its already successful OxyBlock series, a passive barrier line of products, which has been a trusted solution in the American market for more than a decade. LOG’s traditional barrier line of products already provided exceptional protection against moisture and oxygen. In order to maintain the high standards customers had come to expect, the company decided to improve the existing product rather than starting from scratch. By leveraging unique technologies, LOG reduced the weight of its barrier layer while preserving its protective properties. Additionally, the team collaborated with DOW to develop a product with an innovative pharma-grade HDPE resin with superior gas barrier characteristics.