Shaping the future of sustainable rigid medical device packaging

Picture showing a steril sustainable medical device packaging

For decades, the mission in medical device packaging was clear: protect the device, maintain sterility, and ensure safety until the moment of use. Materials like PETG, HDPE, and HIPS became industry standards because they could withstand sterilization, resist damage, and meet rigorous compliance requirements.

But today, the mission has evolved. Sustainability isn’t a “nice-to-have” anymore — it’s an essential part of how we think about innovation in medical packaging. The challenge? Balancing patient safety and regulatory compliance with the need to reduce environmental impact.

Around the world, medical device manufacturers are reevaluating their packaging through a sustainability lens. That means:

Selecting recyclable materials that maintain the performance and sterility needed for life-saving devices.
Conducting Life Cycle Assessments (LCAs) to understand environmental impacts from manufacturing to end-of-life.
Ensuring regulatory traceability for every material, including recycled content.
Designing for recyclability by simplifying material structures and reducing overall material usage.

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SecondLife® MD offers the performance of virgin-grade PET while incorporating 50% post-consumer recycled content — helping reduce reliance on virgin resources without compromising compliance or clarity.

This is where our innovations come in. SecondLife^® MD offers the performance of virgin-grade PET while incorporating 50% post-consumer recycled content — helping reduce reliance on virgin resources without compromising compliance or clarity. kpNext^® MDR1, designed for recycling in the RIC 1 stream, provides a PET-based, halogen-free option that processes just like standard PETG but is fully compatible with #1 PET recycling systems.

While progress is happening, barriers remain. Regulatory testing requirements can slow material changes. Existing waste management infrastructure in healthcare often leads to incineration, even for uncontaminated plastic packaging. And some of the most common medical packaging materials, like Tyvek^®, are still challenging to recycle at scale.

Our approach is to work side-by-side with customers to overcome these hurdles — whether through material science breakthroughs, collaboration on recycling programs, or guidance from our i.center experts who help customers test, validate, and optimize sustainable designs without compromising protection.

The road ahead is clear: sustainable rigid medical device packaging is possible — and it’s already happening. From chemical recycling that creates high-performance recycled polymers, to closed-loop recovery programs in healthcare, the industry is moving toward solutions that protect both patients and the planet.

At kp, we’re committed to leading that transition with materials like SecondLife^® MD and kpNext^® MDR1, backed by deep technical expertise and a global supply network. Because the future of medical packaging isn’t just about what’s inside the package — it’s about the legacy we leave outside of it.