Bormioli Pharma, a global leader in pharmaceutical packaging, is rising to this challenge with its commitment to sustainability.
This commitment is embodied in the company’s "50-in-5" strategy, a bold initiative that aims to achieve a 50% share of sustainable materials in products sold by 2025.
In 2023, this quota amounted to 45% whereas, in the first half of 2024, this figure has almost reached 47%. EcoPositive: the widest low-impact pharma packaging product range EcoPositive represents a tangible manifestation of the company’s sustainability vision.
This comprehensive portfolio, encompassing approximately 3000 glass and plastic packaging solutions, offers a practical and effective path for pharmaceutical companies to transition towards more responsible practices.
The strength of EcoPositive lies in its multifaceted approach, which is brought to life through three distinct pillars.
Regenerate: This pillar focuses on maximising the use of recycled materials, with bottles made from rPET and rHDPE. Derived from first-choice waste collection, this ensures high-quality recycled content without compromising safety or performance.
By incorporating recycled materials, Bormioli Pharma reduces its reliance on virgin resources and contributes to a circular economy by minimising waste and maximising resource utilisation.
Renew: Recognising the importance of renewable resources, EcoPositive incorporates bioplastics such as Green PE, Green PP and Bio PET 2.0. Derived from sustainable sources, this further reduces the company’s reliance on fossil fuels.
This approach aligns with the global shift towards renewable energy and the reduction of fossil-based materials, minimising the environmental footprint of pharmaceutical packaging. By embracing renewable materials, Bormioli Pharma actively contributes to a more sustainable future.
Reloop: This forward-thinking approach emphasises the use of infinitely reusable materials. Carbon Capture PET bottles are a prime example, showcasing Bormioli Pharma's commitment to circular economy principles and minimising waste generation.
Following the same principle, Advanced rPET bottles are also included in this category as they are made from recovered PET and polyester fibre waste, which are typically difficult to recycle.
By embracing reusable materials, Bormioli Pharma paves the way for a future in which packaging waste is significantly reduced, promoting a more circular and sustainable industry model.
Data-driven sustainability
Bormioli Pharma’s commitment to sustainability relies on scientific data. The company invests heavily in research and data analysis to validate the safety and performance of its EcoPositive range.
Recent studies demonstrate that — as far as rHDPE bottles are concerned — migrating compounds show a remarkable 28% reduction compared with conventional virgin HDPE bottles, confirming the safety and viability of this recycled material for pharmaceutical applications.
This data-driven approach ensures that EcoPositive solutions meet the stringent safety standards of the pharmaceutical industry, as well as providing peace of mind to pharmaceutical companies and consumers alike.
Even more stunning are the results related to Advanced rPET bottles, with an independent study by Lab Analysis (corroborated by the Mario Veronesi Technopole Institute) showing that bottles made with 100% recycled Loop™ PET resin contain zero toxicologically relevant extractables.
This means that Loop PET bottles are one of the safest options for pharmaceutical packaging, exceeding the performances set by virgin PET (that overreach the most stringent regulatory standards by 90%).
By providing scientific evidence, Bormioli Pharma fosters trust and encourages the adoption of sustainable packaging solutions.
Bormioli Pharma as a sustainability enabler
Bormioli Pharma’s commitment to sustainability goes beyond simply providing ecofriendly products. The company actively collaborates with pharmaceutical companies throughout the value chain, offering specialised data-based consultancy services.
This includes in-depth extractables data analysis that ensures the safety and compliance of EcoPositive solutions.
By sharing its expertise and resources, Bormioli Pharma empowers the entire industry to transition towards more responsible practices, accelerating the adoption of sustainable packaging solutions and fostering a collaborative approach to industry wide change.
CPHI Milan 2024 serves as a platform for Bormioli Pharma to showcase its EcoPositive range, unveiling new additions such as the following:
rPS Spoons: Expanding beyond containers and closures, Bormioli Pharma introduced rPS spoons made from mechanically recycled polystyrene (PS) yoghurt pots.
This innovation marks a significant step towards incorporating recycled materials into a wider range of pharmaceutical accessories, broadening the scope of EcoPositive'sw impact and demonstrating the potential for sustainable solutions for various packaging types.
Pharma-grade LDPE scraps reuse: Bormioli Pharma partnered with a pharmaceutical manufacturer to recover waste from plastic vial production. This recycled material is then repurposed to produce new vials, generating a closed-loop system that minimises waste and maximises resource utilisation.
This collaborative approach highlights Bormioli Pharma’s commitment to working with industry partners to develop innovative and sustainable solutions, fostering a circular economy model within the pharmaceutical packaging sector.
ESG: the foundation for sustainable growth
Bormioli Pharma’s sustainability vision transcends products and processes. It’s deeply ingrained in the company’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda, ensuring that sustainability is woven into the fabric of every business decision.
This framework fosters a culture of responsibility and drives positive change throughout the organisation. Key pillars of Bormioli Pharma’s ESG approach include the following:
Accountable transparency: Bormioli Pharma demonstrates a proactive approach by seeking external assurance of its ESG reports, even before legal obligations require it.
This underscores the company’s commitment to transparency and accountability, setting an example for others in the industry to follow.
By proactively embracing transparency, Bormioli Pharma fosters trust and collaboration among stakeholders.
Strengthened governance: Bormioli Pharma has reinforced its ESG team and governance, establishing robust processes within its ESG policy.
This ensures a systematic and integrated approach to sustainability throughout all operations, guaranteeing that every decision aligns with the company's sustainability goals. A strong governance structure ensures that sustainability remains a core value, driving consistent progress.
Robust targets: Bormioli Pharma has set ambitious targets to reduce its environmental impact, including a 30% reduction in Carbon Intensity and a 41% reduction in Water Withdrawal Intensity by 2030 (compared with the 2021 baseline).
These goals reflect Bormioli Pharma’s recognition of the urgent need to combat climate change and safeguard water resources.
Future-proof reporting: Anticipating evolving regulatory requirements, Bormioli Pharma is proactively adopting the new reporting system mandated by the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive.
This ensures that the company remains at the forefront of sustainability reporting, consistently exceeding expectations.
A bold statement for a more sustainable future
Bormioli Pharma’s EcoPositive is not just a product range; it's a statement. It’s a bold declaration that sustainability and performance are not mutually exclusive and that the pharmaceutical industry can, and must, evolve to embrace a more responsible future.
In line with its mission of “making health a positive practice, accessible to everyone, kind to the planet,” Bormioli Pharma is paving the way towards a healthier planet and a better industry by providing practical, data-driven solutions and fostering collaboration, setting a benchmark for the entire industry.
