The pharmaceutical industry faces unique sustainability challenges due to the sensitivity of its products to environmental factors.
According to PMMI’s Trends and Challenges in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing report, some ways CPGs are seeking to improve packaging sustainability while still meeting regulatory and safety needs are: direct printing (31%), the use of PCR material(27%), and lightweighting (22%).
However, 22% of CPG respondents said they don’t have any packaging sustainability features, leaving opportunities for OEMs and suppliers to support end users with meeting sustainability goals.
Looking ahead, the most common plan to improve packaging sustainability is to modify material formats. CPGs said material reduction (27%), PCR material (24%), compostables (24%), and biodegradable materials (20%) are some of the primary focus areas in the future.
This is an important consideration for OEMs and suppliers, since material changes often mean greater variability in material tolerances and quality. As more companies adjust materials to improve sustainability, packaging machinery will need to be flexible and adaptable across a wider range of material types.
To ensure equipment can accommodate these changes, CPGs may require OEM assistance in designing, testing, and implementing more sustainable materials and formats.
Currently, 31% of OEMs report they are never approached by CPGs for help with packaging sustainability. This presents an opportunity for OEMs and suppliers to strengthen their relationships with CPGs.
“Raw materials are the main issue,” an EE and IE Manager said. “Supplier quality has declined, requiring searches for alternative suppliers. Tariffs create additional challenges. We struggle to get consistent product at decent rates from chemical suppliers and injection molding companies that provide bottles and components.”
SOURCE: 2026 Trends and Challenges in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
For more insights from PMMI’s Business Intelligence team, find reports, including Trends and Challenges in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, Automation in Food and Beverage Equipment Sanitation, and Knowledge Transfer for Machine Operators: From Paper to Digital Intelligence at https://www.pmmi.org/business-intelligence.
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