PA Consulting (PA) and PulPac, the Swedish R&D and IP company behind Dry Molded Fiber (DMF), have announced that global consumer health company Haleon has joined its Blister Pack Collective as a founding member.

PA and PulPac created the Blister Pack Collective to limit the use of non-recyclable plastics in over-the-counter and prescription drug packaging through cross-industry collaboration. It brings together pharma, consumer health, and FMCG businesses to accelerate progress towards a world of more sustainable tablet packs, free from problem plastics like polyvinyl chloride (PVC).

PA and PulPac seeded the collective and developed the underlying technology for the blister packs after an early initiative driven by Haleon. This has brought a functioning Dry Molded Fiber tablet blister pack to life. The adoption of Dry Molded Fiber tablet packs could help remove 100,000 tonnes of plastic medicine packaging used every year.

Dry Molded Fiber technology minimizes CO2 emissions – leaving a 90 percent lower CO2 footprint than Wet Molded alternatives – and requires minimal water usage. It enables the production of versatile tablet packs that are comparable to PVC packs in terms of design and tablet count.

“We are thrilled to announce renowned global consumer health company Haleon as founding partner of the Blister Pack Collective,” said Jamie Stone, PulPac Design and Innovation Lead at PA Consulting. “A fiber-based blister tablet package offers a versatile, tangible, and scalable alternative for pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. It can effectively replace existing prevalent and environmentally disruptive PVC packaging. By collaborating with leading brand partners like Haleon, we can accelerate development and have a significant and rapid impact on reducing plastic waste on a global scale.”

“When a leading company like Haleon validates our technology, it’s a testament to the innovative power of Dry Molded Fiber worldwide,” added Sanna Fager, Chief Commercial Officer at PulPac. “By joining forces, we can move faster and tackle challenges collaboratively and effectively. When we started PulPac, we set out to replace single-use plastics at scale, by building an ecosystem of changemakers around Dry Molded Fiber. We are excited to see that vision come to life and be embraced by the industry.”

“Haleon intends to take a lead role in creating a future for consumer health packaging which is more sustainable and easier to use by all of our consumers,” said Alex James Orchard, Head of R&D Packaging at Haleon. “So, we’re excited to see an initial piece of upstream joint development work kickstarted by Haleon with PA Consulting and PulPac expand and become more impactful through the creation of the Blister Pack Collective. Through this initiative, we’re looking to partner and collaborate with other brands across consumer health and other sectors to develop new packaging solutions using alternative materials which help drive circularity.”

This Collective is one element of PA and PulPac’s mission to leverage Dry Molded Fiber to convert renewable plant fibers into a wide range of sustainable packaging and products. DMF delivers a better environmental footprint than single use plastics at comparable speed, scalability, and cost.

As the global brand development partner for DMF technology, PA works closely with renowned brands to develop tailored packaging and product solutions. In its Collective approach, it works with multiple brand partners to address global and industry-wide sustainability challenges, taking collective action to make a positive impact on the world.

To learn more about the Blister Pack Collective, please visit here.