Coloplast

Coloplast, Impact Plastics and Placon validate recycled PETG for sterile medical trays

Coloplast, Impact Plastics and Placon have published results of a joint project validating post-industrial recycled (PIR) PETG for use in thermoformed sterile medical device barrier packaging, presented at thePACKout 2026 conference. The structure uses a 70% PIR PETG core layer laminated with 15% virgin PETG facesheets on each side, with full batch-level traceability designed to meet ISO 11607 sourcing and traceability requirements. The project was prompted by Kaiser Permanente's environmentally preferred purchasing criteria for recycled content in medical packaging.

Why this mattersA traceable route for recycled content in sterile medical packaging could open a previously closed application to recycled plastics if adopted more widely.

• Core layer uses 70% post-industrial recycled (PIR) PETG, with 15% virgin PETG facesheets laminated on each side (A/B/A structure)
• Impact Plastics supplies virgin PETG rollstock to Placon; thermoforming skeleton scrap is collected, reground and returned to Impact Plastics to remake rollstock
• Full batch-level traceability tracks material from extrusion through thermoforming to reuse, addressing ISO 11607 sourcing-traceability requirements for terminally sterilised barrier systems
• Testing found no visible difference in haze or blue tint between PIR and virgin trays, with comparable forming, sealing and shipping performance
• Project was prompted by Kaiser Permanente's environmentally preferred purchasing standard requiring recycled content in medical packaging
• Results were presented at thePACKout 2026 conference

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