Honeywell unveils glass bottles alternative

Honeywell (NYSE:HON) is touting its new Aclar Edge bottles and vials as a safer alternative to glass packaging for pharmaceutical products.

Aclar Edge is meant for oral liquids for human health and sterile injectables for animal health applications. Honeywell said it has created the bottles and vials through its novel and proprietary multi-layer extrusion blow molding technology.

Aclar Edge bottles and vials have a moisture barrier performance that is comparable with glass and an enhanced oxygen barrier compared to other polymeric containers, according to Honeywell. Aclar Edge also offers impact resistance and up to 75% weight reduction versus glass — which Honeywell officials say represents significant operational advantages.

Unlike most plastic bottles used for liquids, Aclar Edge significantly reduces the risk of leachables from the container closure systems, according to Honeywell.

“Glass bottles pose many challenges to the pharmaceutical industry as they are susceptible to cracking and breaking, inorganic leachables, and glass particulates. Aclar Edge is a novel technology that overcomes these issues and can improve drug product stability, purity and ultimately patient safety,” said Kori Anderson, GM of healthcare packaging at Honeywell.

Aclar Edge bottles and vials range in sizes from 100 ml to 500 ml. Honeywell can configure them in threaded or crimped finish. The company also expects commercial production to start in Q4 2020 for non-sterilized or gamma-sterilized formats.