Award-Winning Packages Eliminate Waste

Two providers of pharmaceutical or medical device packaging have been recognized in the 22nd DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation. Entropy Solutions Inc. has received a Gold award for its GreenBox shipping  solution, and Degill International Corp. has received a Silver award for its EZ Fusion two-in-one vial package.

The GreenBox was a Diamond Winner, recognized for “Excellence in Innovation, Cost/Waste Reduction, and Sustainability.” The reusable thermal management system from Entropy Solutions uses Thermal-Lok panels with insulating values ten times that of expanded polystryrene (EPS), reported DuPont. Components are reusable, and the outer shell and Thermal-Lok panels can be ground for reuse in new systems. The system uses PureTemp, Entropy’s nontoxic phase-change technology for holding a specified temperature for more than 120 hours.

According to Eric Lindquist of Entropy Solutions, the GreenBox uses a medium-density polyethylene outer container that is resistant to water, scuffing, and crushing and is impervious to repeated exposure to packing tape.

GreenBox’s thermal management system uses what Lindquist calls “the world’s only non-petroleum bio-based phase-change material, PureTemp.”  The system “uses an exacting patent-pending combination of phase-change materials to simultaneously protect a product from heat and cold. So no matter what is happening outside (hotter or colder ambient temperature), the system is capable of absorbing or releasing heat simultaneously—no more choosing and preparing for summer and winter profiles,” he adds.

Gold winner EZ Fusion from Degill International Corp. is a tamper-evident two-in-one vial system that allows users to authenticate product while easing drug mixing process, resulting in less waste. According to DuPont, there is less chance of contamination and it provides a cost-effective solution versus traditional glass vials.

The DuPont Awards for Packaging Innovation began in 1986, and the program has honored environmental achievements since 1989. This year’s competition recognized submissions with remarkable achievements in packaging innovation, sustainability, and cost/waste reduction. Submissions do not need to use DuPont materials in their products, processes, or programs. 
Sustainability considerations included reviewing submissions for responsible sourcing, resource and energy optimization, clean production, effective recovery, and community benefit, communication, and education. Cost/waste reductions were studied for their ability to reduce package weight, result in fewer defects/less waste, enhanced protection or extended shelf life, and increased efficiency (production or transportation).