Longetivy in Medicine Packaging

Before the advent of plastics in packaging, glass was once the most commonly used material for housing pharmaceuticals due to its non-corrosive, non-porous and transparent properties. Such properties now offer us the opportunity to re-evaluate the way we package portable medicines by bringing back a traditionally used material and combining it with a modern approach towards sustainable systems.

This project aims to rethink the system in which medicinal packaging is currently employed and for this reason focuses not on the specific product, but on a system and service designed to connect users, pharmacies and manufacturers.

The proposed system uses a reuse return system similar to some implemented in the food industry in Europe: a product is initially
purchased with an additional cost for its packaging. Once empty, the packaging can be returned for a refund or refilled without incurring another packaging charge.

The role of the Pharmacy, who currently mostly receives medications in mixed material packaging, is a central figure in the newly proposed scenario. They would instead receive medications in bulk, package them in glass vessels and acts as the drop off/collection point for the cleaning facility.

In order to offer a solution that suits the wide variety of sizes of tablets, different coloured graduated scales are printed on the vessels that correspond to the varying types and thickness of tablets. The lid also presents the same colour in order to help with a visual system of organisation.