Designing sustainable healthcare
packaging with Tyvek®
DuPont™ Tyvek® is the standard of excellence against which other sterile packaging materials are compared. One reason for the superior performance of Tyvek® is that it’s not made of cellulosic fibers—but rather a sheet of flashspun and bonded high-density polyethylene (HDPE) filaments. The flash spinning process creates continuous strands of very fine interconnected filaments that are multi-directionally oriented and bonded together by heat and pressure during manufacturing. The result is a tough, durable sheet structure that provides a unique combination of physical properties that no other sterile packaging material can match. Incorporating Tyvek® into the package helps promote health and well-being, thereby helping to enable people and societies to thrive.
The unique properties and performance characteristics of Tyvek® offer distinct advantages when it comes to sustainable packaging, including:
Tyvek® styles 1073B, 1059B and 2FS™ are made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and are readily recyclable through established and emerging advanced recycling techniques, helping enable truly sustainable and circular packaging solutions.
The superior strength-to-weight ratio of Tyvek® helps enable lightweight packaging configurations; possible reduction in secondary packaging; and potential decrease in energy use in transportation compared to heavier cellulose-based products.
Low material weights, and superior tear and puncture resistance of Tyvek® can result in less energy and resource consumption over the product lifecycle, as well as helping to reduce the risk of package failures throughout the life of the product.
Tyvek® is made without plasticizers or restricted chemicals listed in European Directives, such as RoHS (Directive 2015/863/EU) or REACH Substances of Very High Concern (SVHC).
ISO 14001 certification
Tyvek® is manufactured in Richmond, VA, USA, and in Contern, Luxembourg, Europe, under verified environmental management policy according to International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 14001.
Tyvek® offers sustainability opportunities across the lifecycle
Focusing on lifecycle considerations when making packaging system design decisions can have a significant impact on sustainability. By using Tyvek®, there are opportunities at every stage of a product’s lifecycle to improve sustainability.
*Tyvek® is made of HDPE and products made of 100% Tyvek® material can be recycled at facilities that recycle flexible HDPE materials. Please check recycling facilities in your area to ensure they can recycle Tyvek®.