Blister Pack Collective gains Papela’s converter business

Blister packs remain one of the most widely used formats for tablets and capsules, often relying on plastic or other materials that are difficult to recycle. The Blister Pack Collective brings together partners across the value chain to accelerate the development of fiber-based alternatives that can reduce plastic use while supporting the performance, protection, and scalability required for commercial adoption.

Papela further strengthens a Collective that already includes leading consumer health companies such as Haleon, Opella, Bayer Consumer Health and also Sanofi Rx. Its participation adds a focused perspective on supplement applications, as well as practical converter insight into how fiber-based blister packaging can move closer to commercial adoption.

“For many brands, the challenge is not only finding a more sustainable blister format, but making the transition practical. Through the Blister Pack Collective, we are working with PA and PulPac to help bring fiber-based blister packaging closer to market,” says Sander Volden, Founder and CEO of Papela.

“Dry Molded Fiber is technology meant to be shared, and the Blister Pack Collective is a strong example of how collaboration can accelerate real progress. Papela is bringing valuable market focus and a clear converter perspective to the initiative, helping us explore how fiber-based blister packaging can meet specific product and market needs at scale,” says Viktor Wingård Börjesson, COO at PulPac.

“The Collective approach is designed to accelerate learning and reduce barriers to innovation by bringing together partners with complementary expertise. Papela adds another relevant market perspective and strengthens the practical requirements needed to take fiber-based blister packaging from development toward adoption,” says Keith Thornley, commercial lead for Dry Molded Fiber Collectives at PA Consulting.

The Blister Pack Collective was created by PA Consulting and PulPac to accelerate the development of Dry Molded Fiber blister packs. The initiative brings together partners from across pharma, consumer health, FMCG, and related industries to reduce reliance on conventional plastic blister formats and support the transition toward more fiber-based packaging solutions.

Dry Molded Fiber is PulPac’s patented technology for turning renewable fibers into high-performance packaging through a dry forming process. For blister applications, the technology opens opportunities to reduce plastic content while supporting the detailed forming, barrier integration, consumer desirability, and production scalability required for tablet and capsule packaging.

Together, PA Consulting, PulPac, and Papela will work to further develop and validate Dry Molded Fiber blister packaging for selected supplement applications.