Sustainable Medical Packaging is Possible with SureForm Pro ICE® Forming Films

Historically, medical device packaging design has been driven by traceability and regulatory requirements to protect products from contamination and damage, as well as to ensure the safety and functionality of the device for patients. With safety and adherence to these regulatory requirements being the number 1 priority, it is no surprise that packaging disposal and recyclability are often not key considerations when choosing medical device packaging.

As a cumulative result, packaging comprises a share of the 2,800 to 3,500 tons of plastic waste U.S. healthcare facilities generate daily, the majority of which ends up in landfills or incinerators. The Healthcare Plastics Recycling Council (HPRC) deems 85% of this plastic waste to be non-hazardous* — meaning no contact with patients or contaminants — the numbers are staggering, especially when viewed through the lens of a circular economy.

The challenges in medical device packaging are real, but so are sustainable solutions. Recycle-ready film packaging, such as Amcor’s SureForm Pro ICE® Forming Film, is helping reconcile the needs of the industry and of the planet.

How Flexible Forming Films Benefit Medical Applications

Medical devices take many forms. However, even the lightest swabs and heaviest apparatus share the common need for packaging. Flexible forming films are suitable for packaging a wide array of medical device applications, and are the construction of choice to deliver:

• Sterile barrier protection of devices, in some cases paired with permeable top webs for ethylene oxide gas sterilization
• Easy-open seal integrity performance at point of use
• Puncture and abrasion resistance, especially with split layer nylon, or coextruded, nylon films

Split layer nylon forming films in particular offer superior performance and, as such, are considered a medical industry standard. Further, they meet regulatory requirements and maintain medical device safety, preserving sterile barriers throughout transit and storage — even for applications that pose a challenge to pack integrity like syringes, injection systems, and catheter tubes.

However, for all of the benefits, there is one drawback when considering the sustainability story for this material: nylon forming films have never earned recycle-ready status. Until now.

Medical Packaging Sustainability: Recycle-Ready SureForm Pro ICE® Forming Films

The need for recycling plastic film and Amcor's commitment to sustainability spurred research and development of recycle-ready options in the proven SureForm Pro Forming Films line.

Recycle-ready SureForm Pro ICE® Forming Films are PE nylon-based split-layer structures. This means they don’t deviate from industry standards in terms of the performance of the material or machine and equipment runnability. In fact, due to their excellent abrasion resistance properties, SureForm Pro ICE® Forming Films can allow for up to a 40% reduction in plastic usage by weight compared to standard forming films. What’s more, an Amcor ASSET™ lifecycle assessment comparison demonstrates up to a 54% reduction in carbon footprint when accounting for recyclability.

Using recycle-ready films results in more sustainable flexible packaging that supports the creation of a circular economy for all packaging materials. Recycle-ready SureForm Pro ICE® Forming Films:

• Have been tested through APR’s Critical Guidance protocol for the polyethylene film stream with passing results, meaning these materials are compatible with this recycling stream in North America
• Carry recyclability certification from Institute cyclos-HTP — the first PE-based medical forming film backed by a third-party recyclability certificate
• Align with various global PE and mixed PO packaging collection, sorting, and recycling infrastructures

Adapting flexible packaging to meet sustainability goals has presented challenges, especially in the medical industry where there are a number of competing priorities. However, the guidance of packaging experts such as Amcor can help you find innovative solutions that address critical packaging needs. Learn more about how sustainability and sterile barriers intersect in The Insider’s Guide to Sterile Barrier Packaging.

SOURCE
*Environment + Energy Leader, Healthcare Packaging Manufacturers Struggling with Sustainability, March 27, 2020