The SBA supports the SBS industry on the journey to sustainability 

Committed to advancing sustainability in the sterile barrier systems industry, the Sterile Barrier Association plays a pivotal role in navigating the challenges posed by evolving regulations. As the European healthcare packaging sector grapples with the implications of the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), the SBA continues to lead the charge, fostering collaboration and innovation towards greener solutions while prioritizing patient safety.

Now that the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) is in force, it’s especially important that companies work towards more sustainable packaging solutions. For this reason, sustainability was the leading topic at the SBA’s recent Spring Conference in Copenhagen. There, a number of distinguished guest speakers provided insights into sorting and recycling medical packaging, and the various additional requirements that the PPWR will impose on the market in the coming years. It is vital to continue sharing information in this manner to understand the different practicalities and perspectives of the industry, from manufacturers to end-users to recyclers, and move sustainable practices forward.

Thierry Wagner, Co-Chair of the SBA’s Regulatory Committee, notes, “the SBA has been looking carefully at the sustainability aspects of packaging for many years, and we were closely involved in the development of the PPWR, submitting several proposed amendments and comments during consultations.”

“The PPWR is establishing a journey towards circularity and waste minimization, and this includes the SBS and the healthcare industry. The SBA fully supports this initiative, while noting that it is essential to continue to protect the patient. For this reason, the PPWR includes important exemptions for medical and pharmaceutical packaging, because, for instance, the maturity of the available recycling technologies is currently not sufficient to provide high-quality recycled content for such applications. In addition, finding suitable alternative materials can also be challenging. For example, the PPWR aims to ban plastic wrapping of pallets by 2030. Currently, plastic wrapping is not reusable, but it can be recycled, and circularity is progressing. As yet, there is no good alternative for the industry; the non-plastic options available do not offer the level of protection against contamination that the healthcare technology sector requires.”

“However, being exempted from recyclability and recycled content requirements does not mean that nothing should be done. Many actions are on the way. The SBA’s Regulatory Committee has done a lot of work preparing a guidance document on the PPWR to support manufacturers as they implement the steps needed to comply with the requirements. The guidance document also looks at the secondary legislation release dates, which the SBA will watch carefully and continue to assess in view of their applicability to SBS in future.”

“The completed guidance document, Guidance on Regulation (EU) 2025/040 on Packaging and Packaging Waste, is available to members of the SBA now. And it is applicable to Sterile Barrier Systems (SBS) and Packaging Systems, Packaging of SBS materials and preformed SBS. Non-members can preview the contents of the document on our website, here: https://sterilebarrier.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/SBA_1001_2025-Guidance-Document-on-PPWR.pdf”

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