Wipak and Winpak form Wiicare for global healthcare packaging expansion

14 Apr 2021 --- Wipak and Winpak are joining forces to form a new global brand called Wiicare for healthcare packaging. The collaboration is designing a uniform product portfolio of sterile barrier systems, which it hopes will help Wipak and Winpak become “the most sought-after supplier of healthcare packaging in the world.” 

Speaking to PackagingInsights, Nina Tillaéus, head of marketing and communications for Wipack, says the duo will work together on the Wiicare brand as a single company. 

“Our sales team is now better covering the whole world and able to offer a wider range of products to their customers as we now have access to each other’s offering.” 

“We can offer similar or even equivalent products to our customers from factories in the European and Northern American markets.” 

Sales responsibilities are divided by regions and business segment, with Winpak having a bigger role in the pharmaceutical sector and Wipak in hospital sterilization packaging, she explains. 

COVID-19 impacts 
The rise of the global pandemic has driven both a surge in e-commerce and demand for packaging safety and sterilization for healthcare products. 

“There have been some new opportunities brought up by COVID-19; for example, we have been able to support the fight against the virus by providing cover clothing such as disposable visors by our factories both in the US and in Europe,” says Tillaéus.

“On the other hand, a reduction in hospital operations has also reduced the need for such operating room textiles and devices, and therefore also the need for such medical packaging.” 

COVID-19 is having both positive and negative impacts on healthcare packaging demand, says Tillaéus.Conversely, plenty of syringes and needles are needed for COVID-19 vaccinations, she continues.

“So, it has had both positive and negative effects for the healthcare packaging business.”

Three-pronged focus 
Wiicare’s focus will be on three segments: medical devices, pharmaceutical industries and hospital sterilization packaging. 

“Our medical packaging range consists mainly of forming and non-forming multilayer films and medical papers and sterilization pouches used for the packing of syringes, needles, catheters, drapes, gowns, wound care and procedural kits.” 

For pharma, the collaboration will offer push-through and child-resistant lidding, die-cut lidding and pouch laminations. 

Material reduction and recycling 
Tillaéus says Wiicare envisions customer interest and growth opportunities for more sustainable medical packaging options, similar to the food sector. 

“We incorporate environmental considerations into our operations every day by sourcing less energy-intensive feedstock, minimizing the use of raw materials, recycling our waste, and by powering our operations with green energy sources with the highest impact for CO2 reduction,” Tillaéus says.

Prevention and reduction of material use top the waste hierarchy agenda, and downgauging has always been one of the core issues in Wipak’s development of multilayer films, she adds. 

“Recyclable polyamide (PA)-free and polyethylene (PE)-based films are increasing in popularity, also in the development of our medical films.” 

“Identifying bio-based materials that could be utilized in highly regulated medical packaging applications is high on our research and development agenda.” 

“Medical-grade papers have always been used as a breathable solution for ethylene oxide (EO) and steam sterilization. We also use water-based inks when possible. We aim to increase our recycling rates and usage of chemical recycling.”

By Louis Gore-Langton

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