Pharma Blister Locks in Plastic Sustainability

The awards keep coming for a recyclable pharmaceutical blister pack called PharmaGuard. An innovation of Switzerland-based Südpack Medica, PharmaGuard won the 2024 Swiss Packaging Award in the Sustainability category last month.

The monomaterial polypropylene (PP) blister pack previously won a 2024 WorldStar Global Packaging Award in the Medical and Pharmaceutical category and a 2023 German Packaging Award in the Sustainability category. The package concept was also short-listed for a German Sustainability Award in the Products 2025/Resources category.

As the awards suggest, the package design and materials provide a more sustainable alternative to conventional pharmaceutical blisters — without sacrificing processability or package performance.

Designed for tablets and other solid pharmaceuticals and nutraceuticals, PharmaGuard is made with PP webs on top and bottom. The webs are matched for optimal sealing, and the pharma-grade materials are available in a range of thicknesses to meet specific product requirements.

In contrast to conventional pharmaceutical blister packs made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and aluminum, PharmaGuard can be recycled. The monomaterial blister also offers a smaller carbon footprint than alternative blisters.

A lifecycle assessment performed by sustainability consultant Sphera showed that PharmaGuard’s climate impact, measured in carbon dioxide equivalents, was up to 47% less than blister packs made from polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC)-coated PVC and aluminum. Additionally, energy and water consumption was lower with the monomaterial PP blister.

Performance on packaging lines.

The materials are compatible with processing on standard packaging equipment, with small modifications. The PP webs offer stable shrinkage, very high transparency, secure sealability with no coatings, and a wider temperature range for sealing than standard polypropylene.

Südpack Medica characterizes the bottom web’s thermal-forming performance as excellent, with uniform cavity formation. In combination, these attributes assure product protection, easy medication access for patients, and child resistance.

“As with conventional packaging, a PP-based concept must allow weakened patients, such as seniors, to easily push tablets or capsules out of the film packaging without leaving residue, while still ensuring sufficient child protection. Achieving this requires a high level of application expertise and a wealth of experience,” says Michael Hermann, head of R&D, Südpack Medica.

PharmaGuard’s materials, which are coextruded using a proprietary process, offer robust water vapor barrier, with consistently high barrier throughout the bottom web. Barrier to oxygen and ultraviolet light can be designed into the materials for added product protection.