Interpack 2023 - Green was the color.... and what else was there for the HealthCare sector?

Interpack 2023 - Green was the color.... and what else was there for the HealthCare sector?

At the fully booked interpack from May 7-13 in Düsseldorf, 2,800 exhibitors from the packaging industry met with more than 140,000 users and purchasing managers from the food & beverage, consumer & industrial goods, and cosmetics & and healthcare sectors, to which 3 halls alone were dedicated.

Green sustainability

The focus themes of circular economy, resource conservation, digital technologies and product safety were similar to those at the 2017 show, but at almost every booth, green design elements, plants and wood materials drew attention to the special importance of the sustainability theme. With the "Women in Packaging" event, interpack also sent a clear signal and at the same time provided a possible answer to the increasingly urgent shortage of skilled workers. 

Against the backdrop of a supply situation that has become uncertain due to pandemics and war, as well as massively increased energy and material costs and delivery times, the approaches to solutions presented are equally trend-setting for industrial users and packaging and equipment manufacturers.

In particular, the feasibility of implementing the draft of an ambitious EU packaging regulation presented in November 2022 was intensively discussed. The key points of the proposed legislation are waste avoidance, reusable quotas, recyclability of waste and the use of recycled plastics.

Trends in Healthcare

The packaging material manufacturers presented their solution concepts in green packaging, among other things by switching to paper/cardboard and mono-plastics as well as a more sustainable production of the starting materials with significantly higher proportions of recycled and renewable raw materials. Due to the high quality requirements and high regulatory hurdles regarding the change of primary packaging materials (i.e. directly in contact with the product) in the pharmaceutical sector, the material manufacturers are faced with special challenges, for example in terms of chemical and mechanical stability.

The focus of machine and equipment manufacturers included saving energy, production media and packaging material in the packaging process and switching to cardboard packaging wherever possible. The use of innovative magnetic transport systems in packaging lines allows a further reduction in waste and offers even greater product safety. This is of particular importance to healthcare manufacturers against the background of the ever-increasing proportion of sensitive and high-quality pharmaceutical and medical products.

A further contribution to resource conservation is made by the significant advances in the field of digitization and connectivity through automation and flexibilization of production processes from ERP level (Enterprise Resource Planning) down to machine level.

Technological progress and material innovation are on the agenda

After a 6-year break, exhibitors and customers were satisfied with the course of the trade show at pre-pandemic level. As the leading trade show, interpack will certainly stand for exciting product premieres, technological progress and material innovations again in May 2026.

Written by Executive Consultant Dr. Torsten Ziegler