Safety for the user, cost efficiency for the manufacturer, and a clear gain for the environment: With Needle-Trap, Schreiner MediPharm offers a unique system for protection against needlestick injuries combining economy and sustainability in a single product—while setting standards.

Unlike conventional systems, the needle protection of Schreiner MediPharm’s Needle-Trap is not an additional device but an integral component of the label. Delivered on rolls, it can be applied to syringes on dispensing systems at high speed and without additional process steps. For pharmaceutical manufacturers, that means less logistical effort, less material, less costs.

But Needle-Trap impresses not only in terms of processing and process optimization. Regarding sustainability, the system shows its strengths as well: Compact design, no need for metallic springs, and clearly reduced plastics content have effects along the entire supply chain—from reduced space requirements during storage, transportation, and cooling to more eco-friendly disposal.

The newest version, Needle-Trap Secu, even takes these benefits a step further. It enables blister-free packaging thanks to an integrated first-opening indication—as another contribution to the reduction of packaging materials, CO₂ emissions, and costs.

Calculation examples for 10 million units of Needle-Trap in terms of total cost of own­ership and sustainability show: double production capacity per year, up to 50% less costs, more than 80% less CO₂ emissions, and reductions of up to 53 tons of plastics—all without compromising safety.

In other words, it’s a system that demonstrates that progress is created where smart solutions solve several challenges at the same time—to the satisfaction of customers and users, and benefit to the environment.

United by an ambitious goal: The members of the Alliance to Zero are committed to sustainably reducing CO₂ emissions along the pharmaceutical supply chain—with a view toward compliance with the Paris Climate Agreement. Halfway into the year, the network got together for an onsite meeting at Schreiner MediPharm in Oberschleissheim—engaged in an intensive exchange with a vision.

The Alliance has existed since June 2021. In addition to the founding members—Datwyler, Harro Höfliger, Körber Pharma, SCHOTT Pharma, Sharp, Ypsomed, and Schreiner MediPharm—Resourcify, a specialist in recycling solutions, has now also joined the initiative. All members share a common goal: Only through close collab­oration can changes be achieved that will transform the entire sector toward net-zero emissions. A specific example of successful collaboration is a Secure Blister-Free Packaging Concept for prefilled syringes that considerably reduces CO₂ emissions, optimizes processes, and reduces costs at the same time.

The most recent meeting in Oberschleissheim offered the Alliance an opportunity to continue driving important topics. In addition to technical presentations—for instance, on the pending Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR)—specific actions were developed in strategic discussions and special working groups.

Company Tour as a Highlight

The company tour at Schreiner Group’s headquarters in Oberschleissheim was a highlight of the gathering. It provided the guests with deep insights into the high-tech production of innovative pharma labels and enabled them to obtain an on-site idea of Schreiner Group’s sustainability measures. A joint evening event rounded off the day and provided room for further informal exchange—all in the spirit of trusting col­laboration on which the Alliance to Zero is based.

The EU Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) requires many companies to comprehensively report about their environmental and social impact, and corporate governance. The objective is to achieve transparent and comparable sustainability reporting within the EU. To jointly master these requirements, Schreiner Group and seven other medium-size companies in various industries engage in a regular exchange within the CSRD business network of the “Forschungsstelle für Energiewirtschaft (FfE).”

Exchange on an Equal Footing

Activities are centered on hands-on workshops covering all relevant CSRD topics— from climate protection to waste management to social responsibility. Exchange of experience and benchmarking are intended to help recognize challenges and develop solutions. “Especially in the case of complex requirements like the CSRD, direct exchange with other companies is indispensable. Only together can we find practical approaches and learn from each other,” said Dr. Thomas Gulden, Envi­ronmental and Occupational Health and Safety Officer at Schreiner Group.

Workshop at Schreiner Group

The fifth in-person workshop took place at Schreiner Group in Oberschleissheim in the middle of the year. Topics this time were external tools for CSRD reporting, supplemented by experience-based reports of Schreiner Group from the field and a plant tour. A presentation by Valentin Aman, CEO of ESG-X, on the subject of “AI in Sustainability Reporting” complemented the program.

A Network with Added Value

For Schreiner Group, participation in the CSRD company network is an important step for systematically developing the company’s own sustainability activities and to be prepared for the requirements of the new directive early on. The professional exchange with other companies, practical inspiration, and specific application examples provide valuable guidance on the road toward delivering a sustainability report that’s fit for the future and complies with the rules.

Digital solutions are key for enhanced inventory management and patient safety in hospital environments. At the same time, product integrity has to be ensured until the point of use. Schreiner MediPharm’s Cap-Lock Label with RFID functionality enables digital tracking of prefilled syringes on unit level as well as enhanced efficiencies along the supply chain.

The new Cap-Lock plus RFID is based on the proven principle of Schreiner MediPharm’s Cap-Lock Label and is combined with SCHOTT Pharma’s SCHOTT TOPPAC^® infuse COC syringes. Thanks to a special cap design that has the same diameter as the syringe barrel, the Cap-Lock Label wraps around the syringe and cap. A label-integrated irreversible first-opening indication is activated as soon as the cap is opened. The solution safeguards the integrity of the prefilled syringe until final use, thus replacing the usual blister pack by a sustainable alternative enabling considerable CO₂ reductions and cost savings. Additionally, due to optimized packaging and distribution processes as well as reduced space requirements during transportation and storage, it helps enhance efficiencies along the entire supply chain.

The special innovation of Schreiner MediPharm’s Cap-Lock plus RFID is its integrated RFID functionality. In addition to the analog first-opening indication, the chip embedded in the label offers a digital first-opening indication. In hospital settings, this enables automated tracking of the integrity of each individual prefilled syringe—up until the medication is administered. Consequently, there is no need to manually check if the syringe has previously been opened, resulting in optimized and reliable processes for healthcare staff. At the same time, clear identification on unit level is supported, which makes seamless tracking in the supply chain possible and facilitates automated inventory management in daily hospital settings. Expired drugs are automatically detected and unused prefilled syringes can be returned to inventory in a reliable process. Potential diversions and medication misuse can be monitored digitally.

Like all RFID solutions from MediPharm, the new Cap-Lock plus RFID features a particularly robust design. A special label construction reliably protects the integrated chip against mechanical stress and functional failure—even on the high-speed dispensing systems in pharmaceutical manufacturing. Thus, the readability and functional reliability of the label-integrated RFID chip is guaranteed from production to final use. As a result, pharmaceutical companies are provided with a reliable solution avoiding additional costs due to production downtimes and waste rates. At the same time, product and patient safety is enhanced.

Concrete actions, ambitious goals, and a strong focus on values: Schreiner Group has firmly anchored sustainability and social responsibility in its corporate strategy for years. In the past, the company managed to achieve important milestones—and has specific plans for a climate-neutral future.

In 2024 Schreiner Group opened its own heat pump house. Consequently, the company has completely eliminated the need for gas at its headquarters location, which has massively reduced CO₂ emissions. Yet that’s not enough for the company. Most recently, in spring of 2025, Schreiner Group put down a significant marker by submitting its climate protection goals with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Specifically, CO₂ emissions according to Scope 1 and 2 compared to the base year of 2022 are intended to drop by 80 percent by 2030. The company plans to achieve full climate neutrality by 2045. These goals have already been checked and approved by SBTi.

Accompanied by annual reports about the Corporate Carbon Footprint (CCF), progress is continuously documented. Since 2012 Schreiner Group has managed to reduce CO₂ emissions according to Scope 1 and 2 by as much as 80 percent. In addition, Scope 3 emissions went down by more than 10 percent in 2023. A trend that successfully continued in 2024—and a result that clearly surpasses the average achieved by other companies. Moreover, Schreiner Group applied for the UN Global Compact in the first half of 2025. This largest global initiative for sustainable business management supports companies in implementing their sustainability goals. “By joining the UN Global Compact, we externally express our commitment to combining economic success with social responsibility,” said Dr. Thomas Gulden, Schreiner Group’s Sustainability Officer.

External evaluation services providers have acknowledged Schreiner Group’s sustainability performances: once again, the company was awarded an above-average assessment by EcoVadis, an A rating by NQC Supplier Assurance, and a B rating by CDP. “These results validate our strategy,” said Dr. Thomas Gulden. “They show that we not only set ambitious goals but also implement them. It motivates our entire team to consistently continue our journey.”

Schreiner Group has firmly integrated sustainable innovations in its processes. They include investments in renewable energies, optimized production processes, and more sustainable supplier management. “We’re working on reducing not only our direct emissions but also on acting in climate-friendly ways along the entire value chain,” Dr. Gulden added. “That calls for a great deal of commitment but the successes validate us.”

Schreiner Group is on course for achieving its ambitious goals while remaining a pioneer in terms of sustainability. Summing up the company’s effort, Dr. Thomas Gulden said, “Our mission is to shape a sustainable future—for our customers, our employees, and for society at large.”

Schreiner MediPharm together with SCHOTT Pharma and Körber Pharma has developed an innovative packaging concept for prefilled syringes requiring no blister packaging. The new solution offers numerous benefits in terms of sustainability, security, and cost efficiency and met with strong interest at this year’s Pharmapack in Paris. The three partners are thus emphasizing their pioneering role in the field of pharmaceutical packaging.

The blister-free concept is based on the combination of a SCHOTT TOPPAC^® infuse COC syringe with an innovative specialty cap and the novel Cap-Lock Label from Schreiner MediPharm. Due to the new cap design, which has the same diameter as the syringe barrel, the Cap-Lock Label can be applied to the syringe barrel and cap in a reliable process, enabling tamper-evident first-opening indication. Opening the cap irreversibly damages the label so that users immediately see if the syringe has been opened before. “With this solution, we ensure maximum product safety and integrity—from manufacturing to final use,” explains Dr. Nadine Lampka, Senior Product Manager Pharma-Security at Schreiner MediPharm.

Moreover, the Cap-Lock Label performs other protective functions of the conventional blister and transfers them to the primary container. For instance, it can include a gas barrier and multi-level UV and light protection ensuring the stability of the active ingredients. In addition, the extended label area provides ample space for individual product markings and color codes. The integration of an RFID chip for automated tracking on unit level and for digital first-opening indication are possible as well. The combination of a COC syringe with a special cap and functional label with a seal function enables the utilization of a volume-optimized top-load cardboard box from Körber Pharma consisting of 100 percent mono-material. That optimizes packaging and distribution processes in pharmaceutical manufacturing and clearly reduces the space required for transportation and storage.

The new concept offers considerable economic benefits for pharmaceutical manufacturers—while clearly enhancing sustainability. The space-saving packaging reduces material consumption and enables more efficient logistics. “Due to eliminating the need for blister packaging, we can reduce plastics and plastics waste by up to 80 percent and significantly increase transportation capacity at the same time,” emphasizes Christoph Zauner, Head of Global Product Management for Polymer Solutions at SCHOTT Pharma. A sample calculation shows that the number of containers for one shipment of ten million 5 ml SCHOTT TOPPAC^® infuse syringes from Hamburg to New York can be reduced by 16 while avoiding around 87,400 kilograms of CO₂ emissions.

At Pharmapack, the three partner firms presented the solution as part of the Alliance to Zero Workshop “How to Build Sustainable Value Chains Together”. Lidia Smith, Sustainability and Product Manager at Körber Pharma, emphasizes, “The great response at the trade fair shows that sustainable packaging concepts are urgently needed. Our collaboration with Schreiner MediPharm and SCHOTT Pharma is an important step toward an eco-friendlier pharma supply chain.” Schreiner MediPharm underscores its commitment to innovative, sustainable solutions with further functional labels for pre-filled syringes including Needle-Trap Secu and Syringe-Closure-Wrap, both of which enable secure, blister-free packaging as well.

90 percent recycled content–100 percent security: In January 2024, at Pharmapack in Paris, Schreiner MediPharm for the first time presented its sustainable closure seal that meets the requirements of the EU’s Falsified Medicines Directive as well as the PPWR targets for 2040. Extensive tests demonstrate the capabilities of the seal.

On April 24, 2024, the European Parliament adopted the Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR) that is intended to support the transition toward a circular economy. The regulation requires all packaging to be recycable and plastic parts of packaging to have a minimum recycled content obtained from post-consumer plastic waste by 2030. Schreiner MediPharm has risen to that challenge and developed a sustainable closure seal meeting the most exacting demands.

The Objective: Sustainability and Security Combined
The objective of the product development was to achieve a closure solution offering reliable tamper evidence, high transparency, and optimal printability. At the same time, the seal’s carbon footprint was to be significantly reduced and recycling of the cardboard boxes to be enabled without impairing the quality of the recycling paper. Due to extensive in-house as well as external testing, a film-based seal with up to 90 percent of recycled content was developed. It features a multi-tear effect for irreversible first-opening indication and tamper evidence. Integrated security die-cuts produce a film-tear effect while a fiber-tear effect causes the cardboard fibers to tear. Thanks to the highly transparent film material, it does not impair the packaging design—which is an important aspect for pharmaceutical manufacturers.

Best-in-Class: Seal Impresses in Testing
In addition to extensive in-house performance tests, an independent test institute conducted a standard recycling test. The objective was to ensure the compatibility of the seal based on a recycled film with the recycling process of a cardboard box. The results of the CEPI Recyclability Laboratory Test Method – Standard Paper Mill Version 2 showed that the seals made of recycled film achieved a best-in-class rating, i.e., that they do not affect the recycling process. In the macrostickies test that investigates sticky contaminations in the recycling process, the recycled film material even performed clearly better than paper-based seals.

Sustainable Seals Support the Pharmaceutical Industry
Schreiner MediPharm’s sustainable closure solution supports pharmaceutical companies not only in terms of regulatory compliance and achievement of sustainability goals but also in reducing Scope 3 emissions. All that is achieved without impairing the performance, functionality, and transparent look of the closure seals, which are crucial for the wide range of cardboard box surfaces and designs in the pharmaceutical industry.

The utilization of this sustainable label solution leads to a CO₂ reduction of approximately 28 percent in the face material compared to standard film materials. In addition, the switch from gas to heat pumps at Schreiner Group at the end of 2023 resulted in an additional 35-percent CO₂ reduction in label manufacturing operations. With its innovative seal Schreiner MediPharm sets a new standard for sustainable packaging solutions and actively contributes to reducing packaging waste and protecting our environment.

Sustainability has been an integral component of Schreiner Group’s strategy for a long time. In line with sustainability’s growing importance, the company has established the Sustainability Steering Committee (SC). It coordinates and controls all sustainability activities and serves as the central interface between the various functions and departments.

Sustainability SC:
Implementing the Sustainability Strategy

Schreiner Group launched the Sustainability SC at the beginning of 2024. The committee defines specific targets that are measurable and verifiable and establishes actions to implement them with clearly assigned responsibilities and resources. The Sustainability SC also ensures that Schreiner Group achieves its climate neutrality goal. The committee is made up of leaders from a variety of the company’s functions and led by Dr. Thomas Gulden, Schreiner Group’s sustainability representative and head of environmental, health and safety (EHS) management.

Sustainable Products and Solutions:
Making a Positive Contribution

Due to various sustainability actions, Schreiner Group has been deemed to be climate-neutral according to Scope 1 and Scope 2 since the end of 2023. Compared to the baseline year of 2012, CO₂ emissions were reduced by 90 percent. The remaining emissions are offset by means of compensatory certificates. For many years, EcoVadis, the biggest service provider for sustainability ratings, has been awarding a gold rating to Schreiner Group, assessing the company as better than 98 percent of all companies in the printing industry. With NQC, the company receives a very good rating too, scoring 88 points. The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) has awarded a good rating as well in the first year of the company’s participation.

Schreiner Group sees major improvement potential in Scope 3 emissions that are related to a company’s entire value chain. The reduction of those emissions requires intensive collaboration with suppliers, customers, and other business partners. Schreiner Group already includes the selection of sustainable raw materials such as label materials based on recycled ones in the development and manufacturing of its products and considers downstream processes at customers’ sites such as liner recycling. Consequently, the company can offer its customers sustainable products and solutions.

CSRD Network:
Sustainability Reporting

To adjust sustainability reporting to new statutory provisions, Schreiner Group has joined a CSRD network. CSRD aims to enhance transparency and comparability of sustainability reporting by introducing reporting standards and mandatory auditing. The CSRD network was founded for the purpose of preparing companies jointly for the requirements of the directive. The network is intended to serve as a platform for expertise development and exchange of experience and is focused on gathering data and quantifying sustainability performance indicators.

Schreiner Group is convinced that sustainability is a key factor for long-term success. With sustainable products and solutions, it wants to make a positive contribution to society and the environment. By establishing the Sustainability SC the hidden champion has created a committee that can centrally concentrate and assess sustainability. That enables Schreiner Group to engage its customers, partners, and employees on their journey toward climate neutrality and to jointly shape the future.

Decisively influencing a sustainable supply chain requires rethinking the design of packaging. To do so, three founding members of the Alliance to Zero have pooled their expertise: SCHOTT Pharma, Körber Pharma, and Schreiner MediPharm. As representatives of the three partnering companies, Christoph Zauner, Lidia Smith, and Nadine Lampka explain the novel approach in an interview.

What are the key benefits of prefilled syringes compared to vials?

Christoph Zauner (CZ): Prefilled syringes are immediately ready for use and contain the correct dose. That enhances the efficiency of administering medicines and helps avoid medication errors. In addition, contaminations of the active ingredient during the preparation of the injection are avoided and drug wastage in the event of unneeded doses is reduced.

Aside from product safety, sustainability and costs play an important role in the pharmaceutical supply chain. Where do you see further optimization potential in packaging design?

Nadine Lampka (NL): To minimize the environmental impact and to maximize efficiency, it is necessary to question traditional packaging methods. For instance, what is the benefit of a blister pack? It is currently the standard for prefilled syringes because it comes with a variety of features. It serves as first-opening indication, protects the syringe against mechanical stress and contaminations, or can provide oxygen or UV protection. However, it also entails disadvantages in terms of sustainability, costs, and process complexity.

How can blisters be dispensed with?

Lidia Smith (LS): Due to a novel “dress code” for prefilled syringes, we can transfer the functionalities of the blister pack to the primary container, achieve additional benefits, and, in combination with a special type of secondary cardboard packaging, become sustainable.

What does the new dress code look like and what are the various elements?

CZ: For our SCHOTT TOPPAC® infuse COC syringe, there will be a new cap design covering a variety of syringe sizes. The syringe is delivered in ready-to-fill form, requiring no cap assembly after filling. Thanks to a pre-tested system of the syringe and label, pharmaceutical manufacturers are provided with a solution ensuring a reliable process.

NL: The label is the part where we come into play. Because the specialty label wraps around the syringe and cap like a second skin it serves as an irreversible first-opening indication and performs the functions of the blister up until final use. The integration of a gas barrier is possible as well as customized UV and light protection. The enlarged label area also provides more space for product information or drug color codes. Additionally, digital first-opening indication and automatic RFID-based tracking on unit level can be integrated.

LS: Due to the combination of a COC syringe with a special cap and a functional label with sealing function, the prefilled syringes can be packaged in a volume-optimized cardboard box consisting of 100 percent mono-material. Our top-load boxes with integrated dividers for reliable retention of the product are compact and eco-friendly. The system of the prefilled syringe featuring a new cap design plus the label and cardboard box has already successfully passed an ISTA (= International Safe Transit Association) 3A transportation test.

What are the benefits of the new dress code along the value chain?
NL: The benefits are enormous, encompassing optimized and more cost-efficient packaging and distribution processes in pharmaceutical production, clearly less space required during transportation and storage, and more efficient handling processes of the prefilled syringe in hospital settings up to and including disposal, with clearly reduced and more eco-friendly packaging waste. Last, but not least of course, increased patient safety as well.

Are concrete figures available in terms of optimization potential?
CZ: Using the example of the 5 ml SCHOTT TOPPAC® infuse, we calculated how many syringes with and without blisters can be packaged per pallet. Thanks to the 25-percent reduction in packaging size, an additional 1,260 syringes can be shipped per pallet, equating to 126 additional boxes of 10 syringes each. The more compact packaging size impacts the container space as well. In the case of 10 million syringes, 16 fewer containers are needed, which naturally means considerable logistics cost savings too.

LS: In this specific case, avoidance of the blister also results in major, 80-percent reductions of plastic materials and plastic waste. Assuming that 1 kg of plastics corresponds to twice the amount of CO₂, 68,200-kg reductions of CO₂ can be achieved in a single haul of 10 million 5 ml syringes from Hamburg to New York, and adding the logistics savings, 87,400 kg of CO₂ in total.

NL: Impressive figures emphasizing the value of our joint approach of pursuing new pathways along the supply chain and significantly reducing the carbon footprint in terms of a sustainable pharmaceutical supply chain.

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) is a non-profit organization aiming to publish environmental data of companies and municipalities to encourage enhancement of sustainability. Since 2023 Schreiner Group has been publishing its statistics via CDP as well. In the first rating, particularly the quality of its Scope 3 emissions was awarded an above-average score. In other words, the emissions of the upstream and downstream supply chain. The company has been collecting enough specific data showing its sustainable development: since 2022 Schreiner Group has been able to precisely calculate not only its corporate carbon footprint but even the carbon footprint for every single product.

In 2022, Schreiner Group also officially committed to the Paris Climate Agreement by submitting a commitment letter to the SBTi (Science-Based Targets initiative) and before the end of 2024 is going to additionally publish specific goals there as well. One important objective, though, has long been achieved: Three years ago, in a strategic sustainability goal, Schreiner Group had established its intent to achieve climate- neutral production starting in 2023 and in fact did so last year: since then, the company itself has ceased to emit any CO₂.

That’s a resounding success that others have recognized as well: Schreiner Group has received numerous awards for its sustainability commitment. Most recently, in 2023, the new heat pump project was recognized with the German Award for Sustainability Projects and honored with an AGEEN (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Energieeffizienz- Netzwerke Deutschland e. V.) award. In the NQC, IntegrityNext, and Eco- Vadis ratings, the company is among the front runners—in terms of environmental commitment it is even ranked among the best percent in the world.