SCHOTT Pharma, Takeda, Corplex cut vial tray emissions by 50% with closed-loop PP recycling

GERMANY – SCHOTT Pharma, Takeda and Corplex have completed the first routine commercial delivery of pharmaceutical vials packed in trays made from recycled polypropylene, transitioning their closed-loop packaging system from pilot to regular operations after demonstrating up to 50 percent emissions reductions per tray.

The partnership, developed over two years, involved comprehensive risk reviews, ton-scale production studies, and verification that trays made from recycled material matched the assessed performance of virgin polypropylene trays. 

Last month, the first full batch of vials using trays containing recycled material was sent to Takeda’s manufacturing facility in Singen, Germany. Corplex fed the recovered material back into new tray production, while SCHOTT Pharma used the trays as intermediate packaging, and Takeda completed change controls and manufacturing trials confirming the trays could be processed within pharmaceutical production. 

How 70% Recycled Content and 50% Carbon Reduction Drive Pharma Circularity

The closed-loop system recirculates high-quality polypropylene at the same quality level, keeping tray waste out of downcycling streams, incineration and landfill while cutting dependence on fossil-based virgin polypropylene. 

An independent, peer-reviewed life cycle assessment conducted by the LCA Centre confirmed up to 50 percent greenhouse gas emissions reduction for trays with 70 percent recycled content compared to virgin material trays. 

The setup directly supports Scope 3, Category 1 emissions reductions across the supply chain, covering tray production, use as intermediate packaging, and vial shipment. 

The pilot demonstrated technical feasibility with around 20 tonnes of used packaging material returned in a clean, controlled manner from production environments at Takeda and SCHOTT Pharma to Corplex across 13 collections.

Regulatory Compliance and Future Expansion Plans

SCHOTT Pharma is preparing to roll out the recycling model to other pharmaceutical customers in Europe, with the current system applying to standard packaging formats for 2R, 6R, 10R, 20R and 30R ISO vials. 

The company is continuing work on expanding the scheme, including options for paper-labelled and coloured trays. 

Reinhard Mayer, CFO of SCHOTT Pharma, stated that moving from proof of concept to routine operations is a decisive step in commercialising circular economy approaches in pharma. 

Johanna Jobin, Global Head of Environment Sustainability & Compliance at Takeda, noted that the circular economy approach offers ecological benefits confirmed by ISO-conform life cycle analysis and supports Takeda’s ambition to achieve net-zero emissions across its value chain by 2040.

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