Sustainability, Climate Impact & Long-Term Value

Plastic waste from pharmaceutical packaging represents a largely overlooked but material climate challenge. The pharmaceutical industry produces an estimated 300 million tonnes of plastic waste annually, with approximately half arising from single-use materials such as blister packs for prescription medicines.

RedCarbonPharm was established to address this challenge at its source by rethinking primary pharmaceutical packaging in a way that is compatible with regulatory requirements, industrial scalability, and long-term environmental responsibility.

Why Pharmaceutical Packaging Is a Climate Issue

Pharmaceutical packaging has a disproportionate environmental impact due to its scale, complexity, and regulatory constraints.

Blister packs typically combine plastic and aluminium, rendering them effectively unrecyclable. Even where recycling is attempted, the process itself generates significant carbon emissions, undermining net-zero objectiveves.

In Europe alone:

Over 70% of the population takes long-term prescription medicines
More than 1 billion non-recyclable blister packs are generated annually from statins alone
Health systems face increasing pressure to meet net-zero and sustainability targets.

Existing “sustainable” alternatives often fail to deliver meaningful climate benefits due to high water usage, continued reliance on mixed materials, lack of regulatory engagement, or ongoing dependence on recycling processes.

The result is a structural problem that requires system-level innovation, not incremental adjustment.

The RedCarbonPharm Solution and Long-Term Value Creation

RedCarbonPharm is developing the first regulated, compostable primary packaging designed specifically for prescription medicines.

The technology, currently at prototype development stage, comprises a biodegradable and compostable polymer film or laminate that:

Encases individual solid dosage units
Maintains airtight and moisture-resistant protection
Can be processed using standard pharmaceutical film-wrapping machinery
Fully decomposes into non-toxic organic components within 90 days in an industrial composting environment.

A patent application has been filed with the European Patent Office (Application No. 24199540.6), providing a foundation for long-term defensibility.

From a sustainability and investment perspective, this approach aligns environmental responsibility with economic realism. Pharmaceutical manufacturers increasingly rely on non-clinical differentiators, including packaging, to distinguish products in competitive markets. Compostable primary packaging represents a potential $2–13B annual differentiation opportunity, while simultaneously reducing plastic waste and carbon emissions.