Crystal Lake, Illinois-based Aptar developed APF Futurity to deliver nasal saline and other comparable over-the-counter (OTC) formulations. The company designed the pump specifically for recyclability.
It represents Aptar’s first “highly recyclable” nasal spray pump, according to a news release. The pump achieved Class AA certification from cyclos-HTP for recycling streams in Europe.
The pump is made from polyolefin materials with no metal parts or recycling disruptors. Aptar said this minimizes separation efforts in recycling streams, supporting a higher quality of recyclates.
“As a leading provider of nasal spray pumps globally, the launch of APF Futurity is a significant step forward in our sustainability journey, underlining Aptar’s overall commitment to a more circular economy and meeting the global need for sustainable packaging solutions that are easy to recycle,” said Aptar President Gael Touya.
How Aptar developed the pump for sustainability
Aptar said a study conducted last year reflected that 77% of respondents found it “important” or “very important” that they can recycle products they buy.
The company designed APF Futurity for use in combination with a high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene (PP) container bottle. This means a user can conveniently recycle a product with the APF Futurity pump in one piece when empty after use. They have no need to separate or detach any parts or materials before disposal.
Aptar based the pump on its proven Advanced Preservative Free (APF) technology platform. The pump delivers precise and consistent dosing along with soft actuation. Its metal-free makeup and features don’t create a trade-off as far as handling and performance, the company said.
The company plans to unveil the pump at Pharmapack 2023 in Paris, France, this week.
“APF Futurity is a game-changing innovation for the nasal spray pump industry and I am proud of our design and engineering team for meeting the challenge of designing this metal-free nasal pump,” stated Stefan Ritsche, president of global market development, consumer health care, Aptar Pharma. “This is an important step in the transformation of our nasal spray portfolio to more sustainable solutions, and we look forward to bringing additional innovations of this kind to meet the need in the pharmaceutical industry.”
