Veterinary Pharmaceutical Packaging Recycling

An investigation into the degradation products obtained from the tertiary recycling process of pharmaceutical blister packaging. The Plastic Packaging Tax (PPT), introduced in the UK in 2022, aims to reduce plastic waste by promoting the use of recycled materials in plastic packaging. However, pharmaceutical primary packaging remains comprised of solely virgin (newly produced) materials. This is because the use of recycled plastics in primary packaging is largely prohibitive, due to concerns that degradation products will be present in the recycled plastic. While the industry is aware that degradation products exist, these have never been fully investigated. The VMD is launching this call for interest to undertake research to identify and quantify the degradation products that occur during the tertiary recycling procedure and evaluate the potential for the use of recycled materials in veterinary pharmaceutical primary packaging. The aims of this research will be to:

• Develop an understanding of the materials currently used in veterinary pharmaceutical primary blister packaging and their most suitable tertiary recycling routes.
• Develop methods to assess the presence of degradation products in both virgin polymers and recycled polymers obtained through the tertiary recycling process.

This work will establish a pathway to more sustainable and safe practices in veterinary medicine packaging by providing clarity on the currently unknown risks of degradation products in recycled plastics.