Aluminium made pharma blister solutions celebrated for resource efficiency

The European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA) is honoring achievements in pharmaceutical blister packaging in its annual Alufoil Trophy Awards in the category of Resource Efficiency. According to EAFA, the program is open to products either made from aluminium foil or containing aluminium foil as part of a laminate, structure, or packaging system, as well as aluminium closures.

Amcor Flexibles was honored for its Formpack Ultra cold form blister for pharmaceutical products. According to the company, the material can be elongated more than standard cold form solutions, resulting in cavities that can be drawn deeper and with sharper wall angles than ever before. The resulting package can be either a smaller blister card or one featuring more cavities without an increase in blister card size.

“Formpack Ultra supports a more responsible packaging use across the value chain and lowers the total cost of goods for pharmaceutical companies. Its reduced size also meets patients’ needs for smaller, more discreet, and convenient blister packs,” stated Andrea Della Torre, R&D director at Amcor Flexibles, in a news release

Also recognized was Constantia Flexibles Pharma Division’s new lidding foil for pharmaceutical products that need a lower barrier, Constantia Blister Eco. It employs tissue paper laminated with a thin aluminum layer, resulting in a material that is 23 per cent lighter than a standard lidding foil, the company reports. The amount of aluminum is 40 per cent, compared with the approximately 90 per cent of standard foil. It features renewable raw material paper and less lacquer coating, while still offering excellent barrier properties compared with thermoformed blister bottom film, the company states.

“Water vapor barrier properties are greatly enhanced compared with thermoformed blister base webs (made from traditional PVC-based materials),” Constantia reports in a news release.