#Sustainability

2021-09-02

ISCC Accreditation demonstrates Berry Healthcare's sustainability capabilities in France

The Berry Healthcare facilities of Astra Plastique, Bellignat and Offranville in France have been awarded International Sustainability and Carbon Certificate (ISCC) Plus accreditation. This enables the sites to sell to healthcare customers ISCC Plus certified packaging and plastic components that contribute to a circular economy approach based on advanced recycling and mass balance.

ISCC is a globally applicable sustainability certification system, covering all sustainable feedstocks, including agricultural and forestry biomass, circular materials and renewables, based on advanced recycling mass balance. Mass balance is an accepted and certified protocol that documents and tracks recycled content from supplier through to final delivery to customers.

The certification of the three facilities is in line with the Ellen MacArthur foundation’s view that Mass Balance is an important element in the move to a circular economy. With this certification, customers can attest to their usage of certified circular polymers* throughout, from the initial feedstock, through advanced recycling process and manufacturing of the polymers, to conversion by Berry Healthcare into the final product. Strict traceability and verification are carried out by independent third-party auditors at each stage of the manufacturing process.

Berry Healthcare facilities in France will be able to offer this advanced recycling resin in both circular PP and PE. This meets customer requirements for sustainable products and packaging, with the ability to produce primary packaging and drug delivery devices for healthcare, personal care and animal care applications containing a high percentage of recycled material, from 30% to 100%, and in items where this has previously been difficult to achieve.

As well as supporting customers’ sustainability goals, this helps them in particular to meet the requirements of forthcoming legislation, including the EU Plastic Packaging Levy and the UK’s Plastic Packaging Tax. Importantly, because the advanced recycled resin has the same properties as virgin material, there is no need for any qualification tests.

Olivier Ette, Offranville site director, comments: “Recycled plastic is a valuable resource in the circular economy, reducing the amount of fossil fuel otherwise needed for virgin plastic. ISCC certification enables us to develop solutions for our customers incorporating certified circular polymer where before, we have not been able to offer recycled content.”

Bellignat, Offranville and Astra Plastique are the fourth, fifth, and sixth Berry Healthcare facilities to be certified following the factories in Bangalore, India, and Osnago and Sirone in Italy. The company’s remaining European healthcare operations will be certified to ISCC Plus over the coming months, giving both global and local customers greater access to this advanced material.

The accreditation is also fully aligned with Berry’s Impact 2025 sustainability strategy. This seeks to work with customers to develop solutions that minimise a product’s environmental impact, focusing on areas such as enhancing its recyclability and the increasing incorporation of post-consumer recycled (PCR) resin, along with Berry’s own commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 25% by 2025 versus the company’s 2016 baseline.

Franck Cordier, South Europe Operations Director, comments: “ISCC demonstrates both our own sustainability commitments and how we seek to support those of our customers, in particular through our ability to increase our use of circular plastics.”

Berry Healthcare Bellignat, Offranville and Astra Plastique offer a wide range of solutions for the healthcare, personal care, animal health and CDMO sectors.

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