32-33 - SUSTAINABILITY: Cane and able

Astellas has invented the world’s first plant-based packaging for pills as part of its efforts to reduce the environmental impact of medicine and tackle climate change.

Historically, blister packs – though good at keeping pills in one place – have not been great for the environment. Mercifully, however, scientists have spent four years developing carbon-neutral blister packs.

Bioplastic made from sugar cane has subsequently been used to make the new blister packs, which are carbon neutral.

Around 85% of Europe’s tablets and capsules are packaged in blister packs – most of which are used once and then thrown away. Making them sustainable is one of the biggest challenges facing the pharmaceutical sector as it works to reduce its impact on the planet.

It has been a very complex problem. Blister packs are difficult to recycle because they typically contain both metal and plastic. The blisters or cavities that contain the pills are often made from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which is not widely recycled and can contaminate recycling bundles. Meanwhile, the lid – which seals the pills in the pack – is usually made from aluminum. The two layers are then sealed together with a bonding agent.

Although there have been attempts to separate the metal and plastic layers for recycling, these are not yet sustainable at scale. Consequently, blister packs are usually disposed of in general household waste and then either incinerated, which causes air pollution and contributes to climate change, or sent to landfill, which causes soil and water pollution.

Blister packs, of course, protect pills from damage, but also contamination, tampering, humidity and UV light. They must not react with the medicine, impart taste or odour, or be toxic. This makes finding new, sustainable materials somewhat challenging.

Astellas scientists Kodai Nishida, Mitsuru Mitsuhashi and Hidenori Imamura passionately grappled with these problems for years.

“There are a number of challenges the team in Japan had to overcome” said Fikret Ozer, Head of Supply Chain, UK & Ireland. “Developing a plant-based plastic that is strong enough to protect pills and soft enough to enable patients to ‘pop’ them out is a complex challenge. The initial plant-based polyethylene films were too soft to protect the pills. Overcoming this challenge to get the same level of tablet protection and convenience as a traditional blister package is exciting.”

After a lengthy development process, the Astellas scientists sandwiched a layer of plant-based polyethylene between two layers of petroleum-based polypropylene. The polypropylene is stable and more recyclable than PVC – though the problem of needing to separate the plastic blisters from the aluminium lid remains.

While the new plant-based packs are not recyclable or biodegradable, they are carbon neutral. The amount of carbon dioxide emitted when burning the plant-based packs is the same as the amount of carbon dioxide taken in from the air by sugar cane during its growth. This means the packs do not increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and so have no CO2 impact on the planet.

Ultimately, humanity is on a steep learning curve and discovering that sustainability involves complex trade-offs. With its carbon-neutral pill packs, Astellas is striving to protect patients and the planet: it must comply with packaging regulations designed to prevent medicines degrading; it also has a responsibility to minimise the environmental impact of its packaging. It hopes the carbon-neutral pill packs strike the right balance and represent a significant advance.

Achieving carbon neutrality was not the only challenge the scientists faced. Sourcing the plant-based plastic film at scale was another difficulty as was ensuring a stable supply. Manufacturers were at first unwilling to support the development of the carbon-neutral pill packs viewing the technical obstacles as insurmountable.

“A challenge for any manufacturer is transitioning from concept to large-scale production,” added Fikret. “Commercial machines are much larger than those used during research and development and the thinking behind the production process demonstrates real ingenuity.”

Astellas is a constituent of the FTSE4Good Index, which is comprised of companies that demonstrate strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices. Therefore, we strongly believe that actions speak louder than words. Sustainability is one of the company’s four strategic goals and it is transparent about the scale and complexity of the task.

It focuses on practical innovations rather than rhetorical commitments with the aim of playing its part in helping the world halve carbon emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Pharma companies have faced less pressure to be sustainable than companies in other sectors because their products are viewed as essential. However, that is now changing because of the urgency of the climate crisis.

The UN called the IPCC’s latest climate report “code red for humanity” and a new study suggests listed companies account for a shocking 40% of all greenhouse gas emissions.

Pledges are no longer enough, which is why Astellas aims to take a leadership role and use its ingenuity and resources to model how problems can be solved on the path to net zero.

Cane and able

Painful blisters

Pioneering plant packs

Human after all

Net result