Bayer launches PET blister packaging for Aleve brand

Switzerland-based Bayer has launched polyethylene terephthalate (PET) blister packaging on its healthcare brand, Aleve, calling it a first-of-its-kind product in the healthcare industry. The brand partnered with pharmaceutical packaging specialist Liveo Research on the product’s development.

Bayer says its new blister packaging reduces its carbon footprint by 38 percent and marks a stride in environmental stewardship by eliminating the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

The company says blister packaging, widely used in over-the-counter products, has long posed a sustainability challenge because of its multilayer composition of plastic and aluminum, which makes it hard to sort and recycle.  Launching first in the Netherlands, Bayer says it aims to replace all of its blister packaging with more sustainable alternatives in the coming years.

The market launch is the result of years of preparation and cooperation between Bayer and Liveo Research. Along with its carbon reduction, Bayer claims the new packaging reduces factors that contribute to biodiversity loss by using 78 percent less water and 53 percent less land (per unit), and the packaging is 18 percent lighter per unit than the current packaging.

“Our goal is to transform our packaging to deliver remarkable experiences to our consumers while minimizing our environmental impact and ultimately creating circular solutions,” says Chris Padain, vice president and global head of design, packaging, product experience and sustainability for Bayer’s Consumer Health division. “With its improved carbon footprint and decreased impact on water use and land, we’re proud of this step forward in our journey towards environmental sustainability.”

Bayer notes that while transitioning over-the-counter medicine packaging from PVC to PET is a step forward in sustainable packaging, change within the recycling industry is required to ensure such changes in packaging become part of the circular economy. The company says it is working across the industry in partnership with the Global Self-Care Federation and the Blister Pack Collective and recently joined The Recycling Partnership to accelerate progress, such as driving research on new ways to package nonprescription medicines and design circular packaging while maintaining product efficacy, quality and safety, as well as working with partners across the value chain to create packaging solutions and improve recycling infrastructure.

“With the introduction of our PET one-material blister into Bayer’s Aleve product range, we’ve proven that more sustainable blister packaging is possible on a large, global scale,” says Liveo Research CEO Carsten Heldmann. “Waste and CO₂ can already be saved today. As a specialized pharmaceutical packaging company, we will continue to support this industry to deliver their sustainability targets while complying with the strict regulatory requirements.”