Astella Announces World's First Pill and Capsule Blister Pack Made With Bio-Based Material
by Rudy Sanchez on 10/13/2021 | 1 Minute Read
As more firms recognize a need for more sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic, many are making changes to packaging, doing things such as switching to regenerative, recyclable, and compostable materials or reducing the number of different materials used to make recycling easier. But for some applications, the product and its regulatory requirements can severely limit the ability to make significant eco-forward packaging changes. Look no further than the pharmaceutical industry.
Japanese-based Astellas’ breakthrough blister packaging, which makes use of bio-based plastic, is a first for the industry. The multinational pharmaceutical company announced that they are soon transitioning to the new packaging made with 50% sugarcane-derived polyethylene, beginning with Irribow 5ug tablets in the Japanese market. The new blister packaging maintains the same level of protection against air ingress and crush resistance as conventional plastic blister packaging while remaining easy to use for patients.
Astella’s new packaging isn’t a plastic-free pill packaging solution; it isn’t even 100% bio-plastic, which is only marginally better than petroleum-based synthetics. However, measured against the current state of blister packaged prescriptions, it is a significant step towards more sustainable solutions for our medicine.