Nelipak Using Eastman Renew Materials for Production of Barrier Medical Packaging

Nelipak® Corporation, a global manufacturer of rigid and flexible packaging solutions for medical device, diagnostic, pharmaceutical drug delivery, and other demanding applications, has announced it is using Eastman’s Eastar™ Renew 6763 to produce rigid thermoformed sterile barrier packaging. Nelipak is the first healthcare packaging manufacturer to use Eastar™ Renew 6763 to produce sterile barrier packaging for Class II & III medical device applications.

According to Eastman, Eastar™ Renew 6763, powered by Eastman’s innovative molecular recycling technologies, is indistinguishable from Eastar™ 6763 copolyester, with the same durability, safety and performance relied on by medical device companies for decades. The only difference is that by sourcing Eastar™ Renew, companies can certify that plastic waste is being diverted from landfills to produce new packaging. Currently, the goal is to divert waste volume equal to 25% of the weight of total packaging produced — with the potential to increase up to 50% by the end of 2023. The certified plastic waste diversion is achieved by allocating recycled waste plastic to Eastman Renew materials using an ISCC certified mass balance process.

Nelipak’s use of Eastar™ Renew 6763 in sterile barrier packaging products, is enabled by Nelipak’s ISCC PLUS certified facilities as well as ISCC PLUS certification at other supply chain partners. ISCC PLUS is a globally recognized third-party certification system for tracking sustainable feedstocks through the supply chain.

“The use of Eastar™ Renew 6763 in medical device packaging is an important step towards circularity for packaging in the healthcare industry,” said Pat Chambliss, CEO of Nelipak. “We are excited to work with customers on projects where this new medical-grade material can play an important role in achieving their sustainability goals.”

“Developing sustainable solutions and increasing circularity are priorities for many of our customers,” said Nic Hunt, Nelipak’s global head of sustainability. “An exciting benefit of working with Eastar™ Renew 6763 is the ease of adoption as a result of its performance characteristics. This can help customers accelerate projects which contribute to achieving sustainability objectives.”