Constantia Flexibles has launched a ready-to-be-recycled mono-material based on polypropylene (PP) with high chemical resistance for pharmaceutical products. “We highlight the need for more sustainable packaging in the pharmaceutical packaging business with our innovation Perpetua Alta,” states Joerg Adrian, vice president technical organization and innovation pharma of Constantia Flexibles.
The newest addition to its product portfolio combines ‘design for recycling’ guidelines with high chemical resistance against aggressive liquid or gel formulations. The mono-polymer solution replaces the multi-material packaging for chemically aggressive products such as pharmaceutical liquid and gel compositions. “It was our goal to achieve a high-performance ready-to-be-recycled solution. Although designed for highly aggressive pharma products, Perpetua Alta may also find applications in other market segments requiring high chemical resistance, e.g., food applications,” added Joerg Adrian. On top, third-party certification from the German Institute cyclos-HTP confirms the material recovery of up to 96%, depending on the final material configuration.
High chemical resistance
Traditional multi-layer packaging for pharmaceutical products is not recyclable due to the combination of different materials. Alternatives, such as recyclable mono-polyethylene or mono-polypropylene laminates, fulfill the recyclability factor but do not provide the required performance with respect to chemical resistance.
“It was a challenge. Our R&D and product management team worked hard to get where we are today: a full polypropylene recyclable solution with high chemical resistance (HCR) towards aggressive filling goods,” explained Roberto Martin, head of innovation laminates at Constantia Flexibles’ plant in Logroño, Spain.
According to the company, Perpetua Alta can withstand, e.g., hydro-alcoholic gel under accelerated aging conditions, similar to aluminum-containing multi-material laminates compliant with HCR requirements. Compared to a conventional laminate solution, this innovative laminate offers optimal product protection from oxygen, water vapor, and light at a reduced weight and increased yield. Perpetua Alta is a drop-in solution for existing packaging formats based on laminates like stick packs, sachets, and strip packs. The company added that the packaging machines do not have to be replaced, the existing equipment can be used.