The European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) are driving towards a circular economy for packaging, but regulatory approaches differ from country to country. The Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) replaces a patchwork of national rules with a harmonised approach to packaging across the EU, extending recycled-content requirements to almost all plastic packaging.

Pierre Fischer, Ultrapolymers Healthcare Segment Leader, is preparing for Compamed in Düsseldorf from November 17th to 20th. Meet Pierre and the team in Hall 8, B, Stand H08, to discuss your healthcare polymer projects and explore sustainability solutions, including mass balance and biobased materials. In this article, Pierre discusses challenges and opportunities shaping healthcare polymers beyond 2025.

Sourcing BASF materials just got easier. Ultrapolymers is now the authorised distributor for BASF’s engineering plastics portfolio - Ultradur®, Ultramid®, Ultraform® and Ultrason®  in Slovenia, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Albania. This means local stock options, shorter lead times, and direct technical support to help you move from design to series production with confidence. 

In the pharmaceutical industry, packaging is essential for safeguarding drug delivery and meeting increasing demand for self-administration, prefilled systems, and custom therapies. These factors are driving significant market growth, with the global pharma packaging market projected to rise 9.7% by 2030, reaching $265.7 billion. At the same time, stricter regulatory requirements, such as MDR 2017/745, and more stringent sustainability legislation are reshaping packaging strategies.

Recycling is often presented as a straightforward solution to the plastic waste problem. In reality, the economics and infrastructure behind it are complex. In Europe, mechanical recycling plants are closing at an alarming rate. The reasons are clear and interconnected: high energy costs, volatile resin prices, and inconsistent policy enforcement.

Not every component can—or should—be made entirely from plastic. In some cases, the solution is a hybrid design that uses metal where strength is essential and plastic to benefit from other properties. This approach delivers the best of both worlds: structural integrity, weight reduction, corrosion resistance, and cost efficiency.

Choosing the right polymer to replace metal isn’t about matching steel’s mechanical properties on paper. It’s about understanding what the product actually needs to do. Over-engineering a polymer choice can lead to unnecessary cost, complexity, and missed opportunities. Instead, the focus should be on aligning material capabilities with application demands: mechanical performance, chemical resistance, ergonomics, haptics, and sustainability.

The shift from metal to plastic is more than a trend - it's a strategic move that delivers tangible benefits. Appreciating the advantages of metal replacement will help you stay ahead of the competition. Key benefits of metal replacement include:

We are rapidly approaching one of the major events on the plastics calendar. K Fair 2025, Dusseldorf, is the world’s number one trade fair for plastics and rubber. From the 8th to 15th of October over 3,000 international exhibitors will fill the halls of Messe Düsseldorf, attracting over 177,000 visitors from across the globe.

The European Union has introduced a significant update under REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) to tackle the environmental impact of microplastics. This regulation, known as Commission Regulation (EU) 2023/2055...

As the Med-Tech Innovation Expo returns to Galway on 24th & 25th September, the spotlight is once again on Ireland and its influence on the world’s medical device industry. There are some significant topics which keep coming up...

Drying polymers before processing is a critical step in ensuring the performance, consistency, and quality of plastic components.

In this article Markus Bayer, a member of the Ultrapolymers Group Healthcare Team, dives into MDR 2017/745 to understand the impact it will have on material selection, development, and compliance.