Sustainable innovation
The new, sustainable packaging will be launched throughout Europe in late 2021 for their gluten-free sandwich buns, Schär Panini Rolls, producing the packaging with innovative material made from the advanced recycling of mixed post-consumer plastics.

“We aim to be in the vanguard of sustainability.
And as innovation lies at the core of our company, we worked to achieve this big step – offering more sustainable solutions and at the same time continue to provide great tasting and safe products,” says Dr. Schär CEO Philipp Schoeller. “Our partner Niederwieser with suppliers SABIC and DSM share similar sustainability commitments and are also working to increase the supply of recycled material. Together we can be among the first to close the loop.”

Working together towards a circular economy
The partnership between the two family-run businesses is based on the shared vision of a sustainable future and on striving towards a circular economy. Currently, the recycling of plastics in Europe is mainly carried out by means of mechanical processes, however the recyclate obtained is not suitable for use in food contact packaging due to migration, hygiene and performance issues. This is where advanced recycling comes in, which allows for post-consumer recyclables or composite materials to become recyclable. While the number of advanced recycled quantities available today is very limited and the process is somewhat more complex, the quality is comparable to that of virgin material and therefore suitable for sensitive food application. Although advanced recycling is still in the infant stages and is not yet readily available due to the lack of large-scale recycling facilities, the industry promises new opportunities in the coming future.

Dr. Schär will be a first-mover in the bread industry, launching the certified advanced recycling innovation for sensitive food application as produced and developed by Niederwieser and its extrusion subsidiary VF Verpackungen GmbH. All three partners, Niederwieser, SABIC and DSM, are certified by ISCC for using certified recycled plastic following a mass balance approach.

“We strive towards a circular economy by keeping material in the loop and using recycled material,” says Hannes Niederwieser, CEO Niederwieser Spa. “A long standing relationship connects the two companies.  . However, we do not want to be mere suppliers, but know that we can only grow and achieve our goals together, as partners. What unites us is a common mission: continuous and sustainable development while maintaining the highest quality of our products.”

Dr. Schär will be the first manufacturer in the gluten free bread industry, launching the certified advanced recycling innovation for sensitive food application.

Amcor, a global leader in developing and producing a diverse offering of responsible packaging solutions, today announced the launch of a proprietary healthcare lidding technology that will be utilized for combination products – those consisting of two or more regulated components (device, drug or biologic).

This latest innovation from Amcor is based on a patented inert film development and laminate design. It provides a lidding solution that can withstand heat sterilization, the process of preserving and sterilizing items, while preventing drug uptake into the packaging. The packaging solution is ideal for combination healthcare products, such as devices with an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) that forms the basis of a medicine. It ensures machinability, integrity after sterilization, as well as a convenient peel opening for patients. The features of the new product complement Amcor’s existing healthcare portfolio, which range from liddi ng for demanding sterilization environments to high barrier overwraps protecting eye droppers and medications for the eye.

Amcor collaborated with Johnson & Johnson Vision over the course of several years to develop the lidding technology for use with contact lenses. Each company contributed specific skills and perspective, notably Amcor’s expertise with film extrusion, lamination and conversion for healthcare, and J&J Vision’s expertise on ophthalmic device packaging requirements.

Peter Konieczny, Amcor’s Chief Commercial Officer said: “We are bringing together industry-leading innovation and close customer relationships to develop the packaging solutions of the future. With this next-generation healthcare lidding technology we are opening a world of possibilities for products using active pharma ingredients. We look forward to extending this differentiated lidding technology to additional combination products in the future.”

CaroSpir ensures that adult patients who have difficulty swallowing or who cannot swallow tablets receive a stable and consistent dose of spironolactone every time without the concerns associated with unapproved compounded formulations. The new unit dose package makes administering CaroSpir even easier and more convenient for health care providers.

The 5 mL cups contain a single pre-measured dose of CaroSpir, helping health care providers save time, minimize product waste, reduce risk associated with handling of medications that should not be crushed and reduce the burden of administration. The single dose package allows for a more efficient use of nursing resources by eliminating the time needed for compounding or pouring at the bedside.

"CaroSpir is a convenient, safe, and approved liquid option for patients who need it, and the new unit dose cup makes administering CaroSpir even easier for busy healthcare workers," said Gerald Sakowski, CEO of CMP Pharma, Inc.

Unit dose CaroSpir is available in cartons of 10 cups, 5mL per cup. CaroSpir is also available in 118 mL and 473 mL bottles. All formulations have 24-month dating and are manufactured and tested at CMP Pharma's FDA-inspected GMP manufacturing facility in Farmville, North Carolina.