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Bayer’s New Mono-Material Blister Cuts Carbon Footprint by 38%
In partnership with Liveo Research, Bayer is launching a PET blister package for Aleve that checks the sustainability box at no additional cost to the consumer.
2 Min Read
Bayer
At a Glance
- Bayer’s PET blister packs reduce carbon footprint by 38%, use 78% less water, and 53% less land compared to PVC.
- New blister packaging achieves cost parity with traditional options, ensuring no additional cost to consumers.
- Bayer plans global rollout of PET blisters and aims for recyclability, focusing on child safety and regulatory approval.
Bayer and Liveo Research have developed a one-material polyethylene terephthalate (PET) blister pack for Aleve that eliminates the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and reduces the package’s carbon footprint by 38%.
According to Chris Padain, VP and head of design and packaging at Bayer’s Consumer Health Division, the company performed a comparative life-cycle assessment (LCA), employing a cradle-to-grave methodology to assess the environmental profiles associated with all stages in the life cycle of the packaging solution. This included the acquisition of materials, production, distribution, retail, and end of life.
Among the findings: Bayer reports that the new blister packaging uses 78% less water and 53% less land per unit. The change also lightweights the packaging by 18% per unit compared to the previous packaging.
Reducing waste and costs.
Padain shares that, in general, blister packaging uses 75% to 90% less packaging than a bottle — depending on the design of the bottle and closure as well as factors such as product-count size.
When asked how the cost of manufacturing the new blister package compares with the old, he responded: “Our goal on this workstream is to achieve parity pricing to ensure no impact on our customers and consumers, and I’m happy to share that is broadly achieved. As we are leveraging a new technology that is yet to achieve equivalent scale to established options, there will always be a slight premium. However, with consumer, customer, and legislative pressures, we expect innovations such as PET blisters to become the established standard.”
US approval and recyclability on the agenda.
The new Aleve blister packaging, which launched in the Netherlands, is not yet available in the United States, but Bayer has plans to roll out the technology throughout its portfolio.
“At this early stage, work is needed to further optimize the product experience and validate a child-resistant approach, as well as work with the health authorities to gain the necessary approvals,” says Padain.
Most of the Aleve product line in the US is sold in bottles, with the exception of Aleve-D Sinus & Cold, which is sold in blister packaging. Padain reports that Bayer has considerable blister volume in the US under brands such as Claritin and Alka-Seltzer Plus.
Although the PET blister is not yet considered recyclable, Bayer is working with the recycling industry and peers in the Global Self-Care Federation to ensure that the packaging can be safely recovered and recycled and participate in the circular economy.
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