Sustainability has become a central priority in pharmaceutical industry—and contract packaging is no exception. Contract Development and Manufacturing Organizations (CDMOs) are actively pursuing environmentally friendly solutions, including reduced plastic usage, biodegradable secondary packaging, recyclable PET and HDPE materials, paper-based alternatives, and eco-friendly inks. These initiatives, however, must be carefully aligned with regulatory compliance and cost-effectiveness to ensure feasibility at scale.

Having served the global pharmaceutical industry for more than 50 years offering a wide range of standard and customized packaging solutions, LOG Pharma Primary Packaging understands the challenges that come with protecting sensitive medicines while supporting environmental goals.

 According to Noam Nahari, VP Marketing and Business Development at LOG Pharma, the company’s mission “is to make pharmaceutical packaging for sensitive drugs both sustainable and affordable.”

Most recently, the company unveiled its new barrier eco line, which utilizes Dow’s advanced pharma-grade HEALTH+ HDPE resins to create bottles that offer protection against moisture and oxygen—all without using more material than needed. According to LOG, the bottles are 30% lighter while still delivering superior moisture barrier performance twice as effective as standard HDPE containers. Plus, the product has a friendlier carbon footprint, while reducing production and shipping costs.

The following offers perspectives from Noam Nahari and Ora Gilboa, Vice President Research & Development, on current trends in the primary packaging market with a focus on how to balance regulatory standards and financial considerations with sustainability goals.

Top Sustainability Priorities in Packaging

Nahari identifies three sustainability themes that consistently emerge during discussions with major pharma customers:

Pharma companies want to set and meet these sustainability goals, but they cannot accept any compromise on drug stability. The challenge is addressing this trade-off between sustainability and performance.

According to Nahari, the trade-off is real, but the answer is not “choosing one way or another,” but rather engineering packaging that delivers both.

“LOG’s approach is a multi-layer barrier structure: the barrier layer ensures the stability of oxygen-sensitive drugs, while the overall design enables recyclability and material reduction,” he says. “This way, we maintain compliance while improving sustainability credentials, and at the same time reduce the cost of the bottle.”

Cost pressures offer another challenge for companies looking to meet sustainability goals. Are companies willing to pay a premium for greener options, and if so, under what conditions?

Nahari characterizes pharma companies as “pragmatic and data driven.” He claims they are willing to pay “a modest additional cost” for sustainable packaging when two clear conditions are met.

First, he says the packaging must introduce no regulatory risk and pass all stability and performance testing. Second, there must be a measurable sustainability benefit that can be clearly communicated to regulators, investors and patients—whether that be carbon footprint, material reduction of ESG scoring.

“What we see more and more is that sustainability is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ but a procurement requirement,” says Nahari. “Major pharmaceutical companies are incorporating ESG compliance into supplier evaluations, which drives a long-term alignment between performance, cost, and environmental responsibility.”

“In pharma packaging, sustainability is often associated with higher costs, which can slow adoption. Our approach turns that equation around—achieving sustainability, compliance, and cost-effectiveness together,” adds Ora Gilboa. “The real breakthrough with the ECO line that we developed is that we didn’t stop at making the bottles ‘more sustainable’ in the traditional sense (lighter weight, recyclable-ready). Instead, by focusing on optimal barrier design rather than just a ‘green’ barrier, we achieved a solution that is also cost-efficient.”

Future Outlook

Looking ahead five to ten years, Nahari identifies three key trends LOG Pharma predicts will be the biggest disruptors in pharma primary packaging sustainability.

“First, regulatory pressure around recyclability and carbon reduction will intensify. Even if recycled or bio-based materials are not yet approved for direct drug contact, these discussions are already pushing the industry toward recyclable, lightweight, and more efficient materials,” says Nahari.

“Second, polymer innovation will continue to deliver smarter and more sustainable resins. Collaboration with material leaders such as Dow already enables the production of lightweight packaging with significantly lower CO₂ emissions—without compromising protection.

“Third, local and integrated production will gain importance. Customers increasingly want bottles and closures manufactured in one location to ensure compatibility, traceability, and a smaller overall footprint.”

Nahari’s advice for the future is this: “Pharma companies should prepare by engaging early with their packaging partners, aligning on sustainability targets, and treating environmental performance as a long-term design parameter—not an afterthought.”