Published: July 2024
There is a menacing need to shift towards alternative sustainable raw materials for packaging. As the demand for pharmaceutical products continues to rise, the onus is on the drug developers to collaborate for sustainable packaging of the drugs and devices.We analyzed over 110 sustainable packaging companies that are engaged in offering products and services related to sustainable packaging for pharmaceutical industry. In this article, discover seven top sustainable packaging companies and their capabilities.
Packaging is the process of enclosing a product in a container in order to protect and store it. In the pharmaceutical industry, packaging plays a crucial role in ensuring the strength and integrity of a product. The type of raw material utilized for packaging highly depends on the type of product / drug enclosed. It is worth highlighting that over 500 million tonnes of waste is generated through pharmaceutical packaging globally. Further, the global demand for pharmaceutical products is continuously increasing, imposing a burden on the environment.
Globally, only 2% of plastic packaging materials are recycled, while others are either incinerated or dumped into landfills and water bodies. Further, it is important to mention that 30% of the plastic packaging materials are either too complex or too small to recycle; examples include sachets and wrappers. This has resulted in a negative impact on the environment. These packaging materials on the environment are a major concern, hence stirred an alarming need for research in this domain. Over time, to reduce the impact on environment, many companies and individuals are shifting towards sustainable materials for packaging. In fact, researchers are actively involved in designing novel bio-based raw materials, in order to achieve the desired strength and integrity, along with maintaining the sustainability of the product.
Roots Analysis has conducted an exhaustive study on Sustainable Packaging Companies featuring the current market landscape and future opportunity for the companies engaged in offering products and services related to sustainable packaging, over a span of 11 years.
Below, we have listed (in alphabetical order), the top seven sustainable packaging companies:

Interested in exploring all 110+ sustainable packaging companies and their recent initiatives?
Let us deep dive to understand the activity of the 7 top sustainable packaging companies (companies having employee count of more than 1,000, offering products and / or services for all the four types of eco-friendly packaging (reusable, biodegradable, reducible and recyclable), with either two or more than two types of packaging namely primary, secondary packaging and tertiary packaging) in the Sustainable Packaging market. It is essential to note that the selection of top players can differ substantially according to the defined criteria.
1. Drug Plastics
Drug Plastics is one of the leading companies providing guidance and solutions for complex regulatory and packaging challenges in healthcare domain, lifestyle and wellness. It is worth highlighting that the company offers packaging solutions made up of high-density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, polypropylene, polyethylene terephthalate as well as recycled resins. Within, recycled resins, Drug Plastics offers mechanically recycled, chemically recycled or resins made from renewable biomaterials (bioplastics).
In addition to this, the bottles and closures offered by the company are FDA-approved and ASTM-tested. Further, to serve a greater environmental responsibility, the company offers flame reduction and source reduction services as well.
| Key Parameters | Description |
| Company Logo | ![]() |
| Year of Establisment | 1963 |
| Number of Employees | 501-1,000 |
| Headquarters | ![]() |
With 60 years of experience in the domain of manufacturing and distributing plastic bottles and closures, the company strives for perfection and aims to deliver perfect quality products through its PharmaSure™, LiveRight™ and FreeStyle™ brands.
Further details on recent initiatives taken by Drug Plastics and other sustainable packaging companies have been provided in detail in the report.
2. DS Smith
DS Smith is a UK-based company that is engaged in providing innovative packaging solutions, paper-based products as well as recycling services across the world. The company is dedicated towards sustainability and incorporating a circular economy through its various supply chains. Further, it is worth highlighting that the company is partnering with other eminent players with an intend to reduce complexity involved in sustainable packaging and minimize the environmental impact.
| Key Parameters | Description |
| Company Logo | ![]() |
| Year of Establisment | 1940 |
| Number of Employees | 10,001+ |
| Headquarters | ![]() |
Recent Developments:
In March 2024, the company launched its 100% recyclable and reusable shopping bags for supermarkets manufactured with its patented water-resistant Greencoat® coating technology. Further, the company also launched Drypack boxes for the packaging for food products below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Further details on recent initiatives taken by DS Smith and other sustainable packaging companies have been provided in detail in the report.
3. MM Board & Paper
MM Board & Paper is a service-based company in Austria, offering wood-based products including carton-board, liner, kraft paper and uncoated fine paper. With around 75 years of experience, the company claims to have sold two million tons of carton-board and paper with their six board mills located in Kwidzyn, Kotka, Frohnleiten, Gernsbach, Kolicevo and Neuss. It is worth highlighting that the company has established partnerships with several universities, research institutes and start-ups focusing on wood fibers, bio-based materials, new technologies and smart packaging. Further, the company strives to grow faster through efficient and innovative solutions with minimum impact to the ecosystem.
| Key Parameters | Description |
| Company Logo | ![]() |
| Year of Establisment | 1950 |
| Number of Employees | 1,001-5,000 |
| Headquarters | ![]() |
Recent Developments:
In December 2023, MM Board & paper installed a solar power plant with a total capacity of 1.2 MWp. Further, the company has made a strategic investment of around EUR 660 million in its manufacturing plant in Poland in order to secure a sustainable future.
4. Mondi
Mondi claims to offer high-quality industrial and consumer focused sustainable packaging and paper-based solutions. It is worth mentioning that the company has been included in FTSE/JSE Responsible Investment Index Series, since 2007 and FTSE4Good Index Series, since 2008. Further, the company has set its footprint in North America, Europe and Africa with over 100 production sites in more than 30 countries. The company offers release liners for medical products.
| Key Parameters | Description |
| Company Logo | ![]() |
| Year of Establisment | 1967 |
| Number of Employees | 10,001+ |
| Headquarters | ![]() |
Recent Developments:
In February 2024, Mondi signed a service agreement with Veyzle, WEPA and Soprema to conserve valuable resources by increasing the proportion of recycled raw materials at their sites in Germany and the Netherlands.
Further, during the same time frame, the company had acquired Hinton Pulp mill for USD 5 million for the production of high-quality fiber-based packaging sustainable packaging solutions.
Further details on recent initiatives taken by Mondi and other sustainable packaging companies have been provided in detail in the report.
5. PGP Glass
PGP Glass is an Indian company that was acquired by Blackstone in 2021. The company is primarily engaged in designing, production and decoration of glass packaging. Further, it claims to offer end-to-end sustainable glass packaging solutions in more than 50 countries across pharmaceutical, cosmetics, perfumery and food and beverage businesses. It is also worth highlighting that the firm has manufacturing units in India and Sri Lanka with 11 furnaces and 64 production lines and an overall capacity of producing 1,600 tons of glass packaging per day. The company has also been certified in the list of top 25 manufacturing workplaces in India, since 2020. In addition to this, the firm is among the top 1% companies receiving the title of EcoVadis Platinum for its sustainability management system in the Kosamba Unit.
| Key Parameters | Description |
| Company Logo | ![]() |
| Year of Establisment | 2021 |
| Number of Employees | 1,001-5,000 |
| Headquarters | ![]() |
Recent Developments:
PGP Glass participated in CPHI Worldwide Barcelona exhibition, held in Barcelona, Spain in October 2023, and Luxepack Monaco, held in July 2023 at Paris, France in order to gain visibility in the field of sustainable packaging.
Further details on recent initiatives taken by PGP Glass and other sustainable packaging companies have been provided in detail in the report.
6. Smurfit Kappa
Smurift Kappa is an Ireland-based company that is engaged in offering paper-based packaging solutions for various industries, such as food, pharmaceutical, textile and chemical, across the globe. The company specializes in manufacturing and distribution of several types of packaging products, including containerboard, corrugated containers and other paper-based packaging products (such as solid board, graphic board and bag-in-box). Further, the company embarks on its presence in America, Europe and Africa with over 240 packaging conversion plants, 35 paper mills and 33 other production facilities. Further, it is worth highlighting that the company recovers over 8 million tonnes of paper through recycling per year.
| Key Parameters | Description |
| Company Logo | ![]() |
| Year of Establisment | 1934 |
| Number of Employees | 10,001+ |
| Headquarter | ![]() |
Recent Developments:
In February 2024, Smurfit Kappa invested EUR 54 million to double the capacity of its bag-in-box manufacturing plant in Spain, Europe.
Further details on recent initiatives taken by Smurfit Kappa and other sustainable packaging companies have been provided in detail in the report.
7. Syntegon
With 55 years of experience and over 35 facilities in 20 countries globally, Syntegon specializes in packaging and processing for pharmaceutical and food sectors. It is worth highlighting that the company provides individual machines, automated packaging systems and tailor-made production services for retail purposes to premium brands. Further, the company has 1,400 research and development specialists working on developing innovative products and technologies every day and over 1,800 filed patents and patent applications.
| Key Parameters | Description |
| Company Logo | ![]() |
| Year of Establisment | 1969 |
| Number of Employees | 5,000-10,000 |
| Headquarter | ![]() |
Recent Developments:
In May 2023, Syntegon announced the expansion of its Weert site with an additional 4,000 square meters for sustainable manufacturing and warehouse facilities.
Further details on recent initiatives taken by Syntegon and other sustainable packaging companies have been provided in detail in the report.
The above presentation features seven top sustainable packaging companies selected from a pool of over 110 players that we have compiled. If you're interested, you can download the Sample Report on this topic by Roots Analysis. For personalized assistance in identifying the most relevant solutions based on your specific criteria, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at sales@rootsanalysis.com.