Combining glass and sustainability: it is time for the pharmaceutical industry to act

One of the challenges that businesses are facing is to be more responsible to the environment, addressing the targets set by the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement.

A commitment that reflects in concrete measures undertaken by companies, for example, in manufacturing, especially when it comes to industries, such as glass, where addressing sustainability is even more pressing and complex.

In the pharmaceutical packaging industry, where rigorous safety standards have to be taken into account, this challenge can be addressed both working on the products raw materials – such as introducing recycled glass coming from internal production or external, first-choice waste sorting – and from an industrial point of view, for instance enhancing energy efficiency of the furnaces to enable a considerable energy reduction.

These are some of the measures Bormioli Pharma, international health solution provider manufacturing glass and plastic primary packaging for pharmaceutical use, is undertaking to decrease the impact on the environment.

These measures must be seen in a wider framework, with the company committed to manufacturing 50% of its products using materials with low environmental impact by 2025, a concrete objective to which it is gradually approaching (32% in 2021).

But achieving true sustainability in glass requires a change of paradigm; that’s why Bormioli Pharma decided in 2021 to join Glass Future, a UK-based NGO that aims to develop an innovative, low CO2 emission approach to glass manufacturing.

The project, which is expected to span over ten years, will soon see the opening of a pilot furnace in the UK dedicated to the experimentation and application of these technologies.

By joining Glass Future, Bormioli Pharma decided to believe in a more sustainable option to a market need, while ensuring the same performances and quality of “traditional” glass.

Thanks to the partnership, the company will have privileged access to innovative, low-carbon manufacturing technologies, strengthening Bormioli Pharma’s standing as a player concretely acting to reduce the impact of the industry on the environment.

Moreover, the company has recently presented a study aimed at understanding the potential impact of type I products made by implementation of different technology with the final scope of reducing carbon emission.

Realized through an LCA study on furnace activity and a benchmarking activity to evaluate Bormioli Pharma performance in relation to other market reference, the study led to interesting conclusions: indeed, comparing Type I glass containers with 20% cullet and the considered benchmark, the impact on the environment in terms of life cycle assessment was 24% less. Such a result has been given by combined electric furnace and combustion forehearth.

This is a process implemented by the company since 2004, and that is continuously developed setting ambitious targets, including a progressive furnace electrification, as well as an incremental increase of renewable energies in order to reduce production emissions of our borosilicate glass products by 60% by 2030.