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Sustainability
Volume 17
Issue 23
10.3390/su172310716
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Review

Global Innovations in Sustainable Pharmaceutical Packaging in the Last 25 Years: A Scoping Review

by
Sophie Jackman
†,
Peter Mc Guinness
†,
Lia Brennan
,
Ruby Pereira
,
Anne Tyrrell
,
Anna Maria Barry
,
Cait Brennan
and
Bernard D. Naughton
*
School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, D02 PN40 Dublin, Ireland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
Sustainability 2025, 17(23), 10716; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172310716 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 16 October 2025 / Revised: 13 November 2025 / Accepted: 17 November 2025 / Published: 29 November 2025
Versions Notes

Abstract

Pharmaceutical packaging is integral to the efficacy, safety, quality and regulatory compliance of medicinal products. However, traditional pharmaceutical packaging can cause harmful environmental effects due to a lack of eco-design methods, excessive use of synthetic materials, and a lack of effective recycling techniques. In response, a range of innovations in sustainable pharmaceutical packaging have emerged to mitigate these environmental effects. This scoping review aims to identify and map global innovations in sustainable pharmaceutical packaging developed within the last 25 years, examine implementation challenges, identify gaps in the literature, and suggest a framework to guide the pharmaceutical industry in adopting these eco-innovations. Following the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, this review analysed 100 studies from grey and academic literature published between the years 2000 and 2025. Data extraction and thematic analysis was performed and revealed four main areas of innovation: biodegradable materials, design, smart technology, and waste management. Key barriers to their adoption include regulatory, safety, and economic challenges. One gap identified in the literaturewas the lack of a framework to aid the implementation of innovations in sustainable pharmaceutical packaging. Therefore, this review also proposes a responsible packaging innovation framework.
Keywords: sustainability; pharmaceutical packaging; innovation; climate change; environment; carbon footprint sustainability; pharmaceutical packaging; innovation; climate change; environment; carbon footprint

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MDPI and ACS Style

Jackman, S.; Mc Guinness, P.; Brennan, L.; Pereira, R.; Tyrrell, A.; Barry, A.M.; Brennan, C.; Naughton, B.D. Global Innovations in Sustainable Pharmaceutical Packaging in the Last 25 Years: A Scoping Review. Sustainability 2025, 17, 10716. https://doi.org/10.3390/su172310716

AMA Style

Jackman S, Mc Guinness P, Brennan L, Pereira R, Tyrrell A, Barry AM, Brennan C, Naughton BD. Global Innovations in Sustainable Pharmaceutical Packaging in the Last 25 Years: A Scoping Review. Sustainability. 2025; 17(23):10716. https://doi.org/10.3390/su172310716

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jackman, Sophie, Peter Mc Guinness, Lia Brennan, Ruby Pereira, Anne Tyrrell, Anna Maria Barry, Cait Brennan, and Bernard D. Naughton. 2025. "Global Innovations in Sustainable Pharmaceutical Packaging in the Last 25 Years: A Scoping Review" Sustainability 17, no. 23: 10716. https://doi.org/10.3390/su172310716

APA Style

Jackman, S., Mc Guinness, P., Brennan, L., Pereira, R., Tyrrell, A., Barry, A. M., Brennan, C., & Naughton, B. D. (2025). Global Innovations in Sustainable Pharmaceutical Packaging in the Last 25 Years: A Scoping Review. Sustainability, 17(23), 10716. https://doi.org/10.3390/su172310716

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