Bayer and Liveo Research Launch First-of-its-Kind Blister Packaging with Improved Environmental Footprint

New One-Material Blister packaging reduces carbon footprint and impact on natural resources at no additional cost to the consumer

Bayer has launched a first-of-its-kind in the healthcare industry, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) blister packaging on its renowned brand, Aleve. Realized in partnership with pharma packaging specialist Liveo Research, this innovative solution reduces the carbon footprint of this packaging by 38%¹ and marks a stride in environmental stewardship by eliminating the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Blister packaging, widely used in over-the-counter products, has long posed a challenge for environmental sustainability due to its multilayer composition of plastic and aluminum, which makes it hard to sort and recycle. Launching first in the Netherlands, in the coming years, the company has the ambition to replace all of its blister packaging with more sustainable alternatives.

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Bayer and Liveo Research Launch First-of-its-Kind Blister Packaging with Improved Environmental Footprint (Graphic: Business Wire)

With the launch of this new blister packaging, Bayer is:

• Decreasing the per unit carbon footprint of this packaging by 38%
• Reducing factors that contribute to biodiversity loss by using 78% less water and 53% less land (per unit).
• Lightweighting the package by 18% (per unit) compared with the current packaging

The market launch is the result of many years of extensive preparation and cooperation between the experts at Bayer and Liveo Research.

“Our goal is to transform our packaging to deliver remarkable experiences to our consumers while minimizing our environmental impact and ultimately creating circular solutions,” said Chris Padain, Vice President and Global Head of Design, Packaging, Product Experience & Sustainability for Bayer’s Consumer Health division. “With its improved carbon footprint and decreased impact on water use and land, we’re proud of this step forward in our journey towards environmental sustainability.”

“With the introduction of our PET One-Material Blister into Bayer’s Aleve product range, we’ve proven that more sustainable blister packaging is possible on a large, global scale. Waste and CO₂ can already be saved today," says Dr. Carsten Heldmann, CEO of Liveo Research. “As a specialized pharmaceutical packaging company, we will continue to support this industry to deliver their sustainability targets while complying with the strict regulatory requirements.”

PET is a widely used recyclable plastic in other industries. While transitioning over-the-counter medicine packaging from PVC to PET is a step forward in sustainable packaging, change within the recycling industry is required to ensure innovations like this become part of the circular economy. Bayer is working across the industry in partnership with the Global Self-Care Federation and the Blister Pack Collective, and recently joined The Recycling Partnership, to accelerate progress and create systemic change. This includes driving research on new ways to package non-prescription medicines and design circular packaging solutions while maintaining product efficacy, quality and safety as well as working with partners across the value chain to innovate packaging solutions and improve recycling infrastructure.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. In line with its mission, “Health for all, Hunger for none,” the company’s products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to driving sustainable development and generating a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2023, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 47.6 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 5.8 billion euros. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

About Liveo Research

Founded in 1962, Liveo Research is a top global producer of materials for primary packaging in the pharmaceutical and medical industry, as well as special applications such as shrink sleeve labels. Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, it has production sites in Boetzingen and Staufen (Germany), Delaware (USA), Singapore, and Taicang (China). Liveo Research currently has approximately 1,000 employees worldwide. In addition to a broad product portfolio of packaging materials, the company also offers its customers value-added services like “LiveoOptima” that support them to find the best, sustainable packaging solutions. For further details, please visit www.liveoresearch.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to conform them to future events or developments.

¹ Per unit, in comparison to current packaging, based on third-party verified LCA.

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