Gerresheimer’s first eco-friendly plastic container for pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications is branded BioPack.
The German glass and plastic packaging specialist says the new material is an excellent substitute for traditional PE and PET because it has the same properties, while also being completely recyclable.
'By using biomaterials our customers contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, thereby protecting the environment and avoiding unnecessary waste,' said Niels Düring, Gerresheimer's Global Executive Vice President Plastic Packaging.
One of the substances used to make biomaterials is sugarcane. Gerresheimer takes the ethanol from the sugarcane plant and then puts it through a dehydration process to transform it into green ethylene. Afterwards the green ethylene goes to the polymerisation plants, where it is converted into green polyethylene/PET, which is a renewable alternative to conventional PE and PET.
Gerresheimer‘s BioPack can be used as packaging for both liquid and solid pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. It has exactly the same characteristics as the firm’s classic PE and PET products, which makes it suitable as a material for the entire Gerresheimer portfolio of plastic containers. There is no need to change existing filling and packaging lines and it does not require new investments, the firm says.
Visitors to Pharmapack in Paris this week (10–11 February) will find Gerresheimer at Stand 801 & 802 in Hall 5.2, near the main entrance.
