Bormioli Pharma launches first pharma packaging in Carbon Capture PET

Bormioli Pharma announced a partnership with Chiesi, an international, research-focused biopharmaceutical company (Chiesi Group), to supply Carbon Capture PET bottles. These will be used to package a medication indicated for the prophylaxis and treatment of seasonal and perennial allergic rhinitis, as well as vasomotor rhinitis.

This supply marks the first time a Carbon Capture PET bottle will be used for pharmaceutical purposes, offering environmental benefits and high safety levels for patients. Indeed, Carbon Capture PET bottles provide a 21.9% decrease in kg of CO₂ eq compared to traditional PET, while extractables’ levels are comparable with the ones registered by standard PET ⁽¹⁾.

Carbon Capture PET is produced by capturing carbon emissions, which are then transformed into BioMEG, the key molecule for PET production, through a fermentation process.  The material is recyclable and maintains the same mechanical and physical performance as traditional PET.

“The agreement we’ve reached with Chiesi to supply one of their products with Carbon Capture PET bottles demonstrates both the performance and safety of these containers, as well as the growing commitment of the pharma industry towards sustainability,” commented Andrea Lodetti, CEO of Bormioli Pharma. “For Bormioli Pharma, this is another significant recognition of the high-quality standards achieved by our packaging solutions. As of today, almost half of our sales are made up of products manufactured with low-impact materials, thanks to the development of one of the widest sustainable packaging offerings available in the pharma industry, EcoPositive, which comprises over 3,000 items in glass or plastic”.

The EcoPositive product range has registered a +304% volume growth solely for low-impact plastic containers (baseline 2021) and is on track for the upcoming achievement of the “50-in-5” corporate strategy. This strategy aims to reach 50% of sustainable materials in sold products by 2025: in 2023, this share was 45%, with a further increase to almost 47% in the first half of 2024.

This important milestone for sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry is driven by a cutting-edge supply chain, featuring significant contributions from LanzaTech Global, a carbon recycling company whose technology is responsible for capturing and recycling carbon emissions that are turned into CarbonSmart™ MEG, and Plastipak, a pioneer in innovative packaging and recycling solutions worldwide, that produces Carbon Capture PET, based in Piedmont, Italy.

(1) According to an extractables study conducted by a third-party laboratory on behalf of the Chiesi Group and aimed at comparing bottles made from conventional PET and Carbon Capture PET, both in amber color.