Sustainability at Perlen Packaging
For Perlen Packaging and our holding CPH Group, sustainability and the responsible use of natural resources have always been top priorities. For 200 years we have been working continuously to improve our environmental footprint by using resources efficiently, minimising our waste and recycle it. To protect the environment, the CPH Group works continuously to reduce CO2 emissions.
As a manufacturer, we closely follow the recycling requirements for our materials. Therefore, we are working on future alternatives for blister lidding films in order to take another step towards a circular economy with single-material packaging.
As part of our company's sustainability agenda, we initiated a new comparative Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with other common plastics. This was conducted by a third party and we are very encouraged by the outcome: Excellent environmental impact results were identified for both the production of Perlen Packaging's PVC pharmaceutical films and our PVdC coated barrier films.
The LCA information will be useful in helping our customers with relevant data to make fact-based decisions, evaluate material choices and jointly decide on feasible development projects.
Detailed insights into the CPH Group’s sustainability strategy, measures, and progress can be found in the latest Sustainability Report.
Perlen Packaging joins the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)
Climate action backed by science
We are proud to announce that Perlen Packaging has joined the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)!
The SBTi enables companies worldwide to take science-based measures to combat the climate crisis. By providing clearly defined standards, tools, and guidance, the initiative helps organizations set targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions – in line with the goals of the Paris Agreement.
By joining the SBTi, we are part of a global community of more than 6,000 companies committed to taking measurable and impactful steps to protect the climate. This is a crucial step in our commitment to a sustainable future.
Why SBTi?
The time to act is now. The climate emergency demands rapid and deep emission reductions. By committing to the SBTi, we align our climate actions with the latest scientific findings and contribute to global decarbonization.
This milestone is part of our ongoing journey to make a positive difference for the environment and preserve our planet for future generations.
PERLALUX® - Mono DeCarb
PERLALUX® - Mono DeCarb is the innovative and low-effort solution that immediately and significantly reduces your ecological footprint without impacting the production processes.
With a significant CO2 reduction throughout the entire supply chain, this new product line offers enormous CO2 saving potential without affecting processing properties. There is no need for new validation and no need for stability tests.
How does it work?
By the usage of circular and bio-circular raw material feedstocks combined with the usage of renewable energy we have the possibility to produce PVC Mono films with a heavily reduced Carbon Footprint.
Find out more about Perlalux® - Mono DeCarb
Energy Management Müllheim 50001
- 100% renewable electricity since 01.01.2018
- Savings of approx. 6'200t CO2/year
Renergia Perlen
- The smart solution from the neighbourhood for Perlen Packaging Switzerland
- The entire steam consumption for drying the coated films was supplied by the nearby Perlen cantonal waste incineration plant
- Switzerland's first steam-heat coupling for this kind of application
- Financial participation by the CPH Group
- Environmentally friendly energy
- Independence from fossil fuels
Water consumption
- State-of-the-art, proprietary industrial water and wastewater treatment plants in Suzhou and Perlen
- Continuous reduction of water consumption
Member of VinylPlus
- VinylPlus is a voluntary programme in Europe to proactively address PVC sustainability
- Perlen Packaging is actively involved in the VinylPlus programme, which promotes PVC recycling
Official Partner Certificate 2025
VinylPlus® PharmPack
A joint project of VinylPlus, PVC film producers and recyclers for the sustainable development of PVC pharma blister packaging
Recycling of pharmaceutical blisters
Post Industrial Recycling
Post industrial recycling
- Post-industrial waste at our customers is recycled and used in the construction industry
- Other alternatives are currently being investigated
Recycling of winding cores
- Our post-industrial PVC waste is reused for our own winding cores
- Recycling management at the Müllheim site
Feasability of Recycled Content in PVC Pharma Blisters
Sustainability in the plastics industry primarily means using materials responsibly and making the best possible use of waste. Consequently, it is not only about conserving resources, but also about the efficient processing and recycling of plastic waste—whether after consumer use or directly from production.
“Post-consumer waste” in the form of blister films that arise after consumer use poses a particular challenge. In many countries, these blisters are not permitted to enter the regular recycling stream after use due to the active pharmaceutical ingredient they contain.
Companies such as Unicomper in Brazil have therefore developed innovative solutions that utilize both industrial and post-consumer waste. Blister waste made of PVC, PVdC, and aluminum, as well as film scraps from pharmaceutical production, are processed there into PVC-wood profiles for doors and frames. The combination of plastic and wood residues enables the production of durable, environmentally responsible products. Through a partnership with the Brazilian site of Perlen Packaging, Unicomper was able to access new sources of raw materials, as the Perlen Packaging team actively participates in the sorting and provision of these waste materials.
Another example of the innovative use of waste is the European VinylPlus® PharmPack project. Perlen Packaging and other leading industry peers have come together to enhance the circularity of PVC blister packaging – currently working on a project for pharma-grade blisters with 30% recycled PVC from pre-consumer waste (Test only). A pilot collection program is launched in German hospitals & pharmacies for the collection of post-consumer blisters testing the feasibility of systematically recovering post-consumer blister packaging directly from the healthcare sector.
Find out more about the VinylPlus® PharmPack Project
In addition, production waste generated at Perlen Packaging is consistently recycled through differentiated processing pathways. At the German site, scrap resulting from process-related edge trim from the calender is directly ground via an edge-strip mill and fed back into the extrusion process. This scrap is therefore reintegrated directly into film production, making another positive contribution to the circular economy. Plastics that cannot be recycled internally are either processed by a third party intocores, which are then used at the sites in Switzerland and Germany for winding films, or sold to recyclers who further process them into other PVC products.
Industrial waste is also purposefully reused at other Perlen Packaging sites: in China, production waste is used, among other things, to manufacture plant containers for seedlings, while in Brazil, part of the waste is further processed into artificial Christmas trees.
These approaches demonstrate that waste can represent a valuable resource when it is deliberately converted into new products. The strategic use of post-consumer and industrial waste not only creates economic value, but also actively promotes a sustainable circular economy in plastics production and makes an important contribution to an environmentally friendly future.