UPM Biochemicals, Selenis and Bormioli Pharma have teamed up to produce The world's first pharmaceutical bottles made from partially wood-based PET. It uses standard PET that is made from the world's first wood-based BioMEG, UPM BioPuraTM.
The collaboration is driven by a shared vision to support the pharmaceutical industry's move towards more sustainable packaging solutions, without compromising product safety and performance. The new pharmaceutical bottles, containing UPM's carbon-negative BioMEG, are manufactured with BioPET resins Selenis Selcare partial inhibitors. They have recently been approved for use in accordance with the European Pharmacopoeia, Version 11.4, Monograph 3.1.15 and will be available worldwide from Bormioli Pharma starting from the first quarter of 2025.
“Our pioneering collaboration demonstrates that renewable wood-based biochemicals can offer the same high quality as virgin fossil-based materials, with significant environmental benefits. Bormioli Pharma’s packaging offers a relevant solution for a market with limited and tightly controlled options to accelerate sustainable transformation. It also provides tangible proof that scalable solutions exist on the market today,” he said. Michael Duetsch, Vice President of Biochemical Products at UPM.
The collaboration emphasizes the introduction of bio-based renewable materials into existing plastic applications to help reduce reliance on fossil resources. The partial BioPET containing UPM BioMEG It is made from sustainably sourced materials, offering a radically lower carbon footprint while meeting the same quality requirements as traditional fossil PET. It can be processed and recycled in existing processes without any technical adaptation. UPM is building the world’s first industrial-scale biorefinery that converts woody biomass into high-value biochemical products, using hardwood from sustainably managed beech forests in the Leuna region of Germany.
“Selenis is delighted to help drive the sustainable transformation of the pharmaceutical packaging industry with UPM and Bormioli Pharma, creating the world’s first European pharmaceutical industry-approved partially wood-based BioPET bottle,” said Eduardo Santos, Head of Corporate Strategy at Selenis.
