Schreiner MediPharm, a Germany-based global provider of innovative functional label solutions for the healthcare industry, will debut sustainability-minded versions of two popular products at Pack Expo, October 23-26 in Chicago. At Booth W-15047, the company will showcase a pair of label solutions designed via three key sustainability considerations: recycled/renewable materials, sorted recycling/disassembling, and CO2 emissions reduction.

The new label concepts are based on existing items in Schreiner MediPharm’s roster of functional labeling solutions. For example, one of the items on display at Pack Expo will be a more sustainable version of its Pharma-Tac label for infusion bottles with integrated hanger and removable documentation parts. A more eco-friendly version of Schreiner MediPharm’s Autoinjector-Label – featuring its popular anti-slip functionality – also will be showcased. For both new product solutions, the company utilized film materials that are either recycled or produced from renewable raw materials.

To demonstrate that the more sustainable materials perform as well and reliably as conventional substrates, the in-house R&D team conducted a series of extensive tests. For example, the Pharma-Tac label was subjected to load and gravitational trials, and both the hanger label and Autoinjector-Label underwent testing for adhesion, ink adhesion, print durability and laser marking viability. All tests were passed flawlessly.

In addition, a Product Carbon Footprint (PFC) was calculated for each of the new sustainable label concepts. This calculation considers the CO2 emissions of a product from raw materials through manufacturing to delivery – referred to as “cradle-to-gate” analysis – as well as end-of-life scenarios, or so-called “cradle-to-grave” impact.

Based on the findings, and using the materials that have been qualified, Schreiner MediPharm is able to design and develop customized labeling solutions that can contribute to a more sustainable pharma supply chain.

“The healthcare industry faces steeper challenges to sustainability than the vast majority of other sectors, since the safety of patients and efficacy of drugs must take priority on a more mission-critical scale,” says Gene Dul, president of Schreiner MediPharm US. “The sustainability-minded labels we’ll be showing at Pack Expo exmplify our commitment to reducing the environmental impact without sacrificing patient-centricity in the slightest. It’s an important step toward a more circular healthcare economy.”