The pharmaceutical industry, tasked with protecting public health, is now facing a dual mandate: safeguarding medicines while protecting the planet. The rising demand for sustainable packaging in life sciences is no longer a trend—it is a regulatory and consumer imperative. Traditional materials, particularly multi-layer blister packaging, present significant recycling challenges, directly impacting the carbon footprint reduction goals of global pharma brands.
At Romaco, our commitment to green innovation is simple: to make your production more sustainable, efficient, and compliant. We see sustainability not as a cost, but as an opportunity to engineer better, smarter, and eco-friendly pharma packaging solutions.
Romaco’s Green Mission: Beyond Compliance
Sustainability is integrated into Romaco’s core philosophy, driven by the principle: “Avoidance is better than reduction is better than compensation.” This guides our entire R&D process. We focus on design-out waste, energy consumption, and material use from the very beginning.
Romaco’s commitment is validated by achieving Gold Level Recognition in the EcoVadis sustainability ratings and becoming a member of the UN Global Compact (UNGC). This places environmental responsibility and ESG goals in pharma at the forefront of our machinery development.
1. Eco-Friendly Packaging Machines in Action
The greatest reduction in environmental impact comes from optimizing the production process itself. Romaco leads the way with cutting-edge, energy-efficient packaging machinery:
- Unity Blister Packaging Lines (e.g., Unity 300/600): These integrated monobloc lines feature exceptionally compact designs. Since operating a cleanroom is extremely energy-intensive, the small footprint of the Unity 300, for example, offers significant savings in air-conditioning and energy costs, directly reducing CO₂ output.
- Low energy consuming blister transfer systems: With the presentation of the new generation of Unity 600 blister line, Romaco-Noack was able to reduce the energy consumption of the overall blister packing line by 50% by replacing vacuum overhead conveyors by highly energy efficient pick and place systems.
- Smart Standby: Features like smart standby functions on Romaco machinery allow for a major reduction in base load during downtimes without impacting OEE.
2. Biodegradable & Recyclable Packaging Materials
The shift to sustainable pharmaceutical packaging is impossible without machineries that can handle innovative substrates. Romaco proactively ensures compatibility with new recyclable blister packaging materials:
- Mono-Material Compatibility: Romaco Noack blister machines (like the N 760) are designed to process mono-materials such as PET/PET or PP/PP films. This compatibility with single-polymer solutions (e.g., OMB™ from Liveo Research) provides an eco-friendly pharma packaging alternative to non-recyclable PVC/Aluminum laminates while maintaining equivalent barrier properties and push-through functionality.
- Strip Packaging Innovation: Romaco Siebler has partnered with material innovators (such as Huhtamaki) to develop recyclable unit dose packaging for solid pharmaceutical products, utilizing polyolefin laminates that are recyclable and require less raw material than conventional blisters.
3. Digitalisation for Sustainability
Digital Twins, predictive maintenance, and remote monitoring tools are essential for achieving maximum efficiency and minimizing waste:
- Waste Minimisation: Romaco’s digital solutions enable data-driven process optimization, mapping production gaps, and reducing product loss to near zero in high-speed, high-value lines.
- Remote Services: Solutions like Remote Assist and Call 4 Service provide rapid, diagnostic support, reducing the need for long-distance service travel—a key contribution to reducing the carbon footprint across the production line.
4. Reducing Carbon Footprint Across the Production Line
Romaco adopts an end-to-end eco-design approach, ensuring that our machinery helps reduce the carbon footprint in pharmaceutical packaging from its own manufacturing onward:
- Life Cycle Analysis (LCA): Romaco offers products, such as the Unity 300, in a carbon-neutral version, calculating the emissions from the machine’s manufacture and offsetting them via certified climate protection projects.
- Recycled Materials: Components like the machine housing are often produced using recycled materials (e.g., recycled acrylic glass), further reducing the overall manufacturing carbon footprint.
Global Success Stories of Sustainable Packaging
Leading pharmaceutical brands are already realizing the measurable environmental impact of Romaco’s green tech. By deploying equipment compatible with mono-materials, our clients gain the ability to comply with upcoming recycling directives, positioning them as pioneers in sustainable packaging solutions for pharmaceutical manufacturers.
Romaco’s Role in the Future of Circular Pharma Economy
Romaco is actively driving the industry towards a circular economy. We are moving beyond simple reduction to enable closed-loop packaging systems by ensuring our machines are ready for the next generation of recyclable barrier materials. Our goal is to serve as a reliable partner, supporting clients comprehensively on their ESG journey and facilitating accurate sustainability reporting.
Conclusion
The pursuit of sustainable pharmaceutical packaging is non-negotiable, and Romaco is defining the path forward. By combining energy-efficient designs with compatibility for eco-friendly pharma packaging materials, Romaco provides the essential technology to meet today’s compliance demands while securing tomorrow’s profitability.
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