EPP is lightweight, strong and shock-absorbent, ensuring that medical equipment remains optimally protected during transport. The material is reusable and recyclable, which supports both sustainability and cost savings. Thanks to customisation, EPP offers packaging that perfectly meets the requirements of the medical sector.
Summary of this article
In the medical sector, organizations place strict demands on their suppliers, especially when it comes to packaging of medical devices, instruments and accessories. Equipment within hospitals and clinics must often be moved manually. Therefore, it is essential that packaging be light and easy to handle. We therefore often advise our customers in the medical sector to use EPP (Expanded PolyPropylene) as their packaging material.
EPP (Expanded Polypropylene) is similar in appearance to expanded polystyrene, but it is a stronger and more durable material. It consists of expanded polypropylene beads that form a strong cellular structure. This allows the material to combine a low weight with good dimensional stability and excellent cushioning properties.
Unlike expanded polystyrene, which can break and crumble easily, EPP offers both strength and flexibility. After an impact or fall, the material largely returns to its original shape. This makes EPP suitable for packaging that is transported and reused regularly.
The material is lightweight and shock-absorbing, making it ideal for applications in the medical sector where both ease of handling and protection are important. EPP packaging can also be fully tailored to the shape and vulnerability of medical products and devices. This keeps the contents securely in place during storage and transport and protects them against impacts and damage.
Hospitals, clinics and medical training facilities are often not equipped to handle heavy packaging. In addition, occupational health and safety regulations impose limits on the amount of weight employees may lift. EPP packaging offers a solution because it is lightweight and easy to move, significantly reducing the physical strain on staff.
Medical products are often valuable and fragile. EPP packaging provides excellent protection thanks to its outstanding shock-absorbing properties. This helps safeguard the contents against impacts and drops, which is essential in the medical sector.
Many medical suppliers use return logistics, whereby unused products are returned. EPP packaging is robust and durable, making it ideal for repeated use. An efficient return system can not only reduce costs but also contribute to greater customer satisfaction.
For example, we advised a customer that supplies surgical kits to switch to EPP packaging. This enables the supplier to retrieve unused materials easily, while reducing storage costs for hospitals.
EPP is not only reusable but also recyclable. At the end of its service life, the material can be ground down and heated, after which it can be reused as a raw material in the plastics processing industry. This makes EPP an environmentally responsible choice for companies that place a high value on sustainability.
EPP packaging is manufactured entirely to specification. The packaging is tailored to the shape of the products, ensuring a precise fit and optimal protection. The exterior of the EPP case can also be customised, for example by adding specific colours, textures and company logos.
For Itho Daalderop, we developed a custom service case for the Aquamax high-efficiency combination boiler. The case is used by external service and installation engineers and needed to protect replacement parts during transport and everyday use. Low weight, ease of use and an appearance that matched the product were also important requirements.
Based on these requirements, we recommended EPP as the most suitable material. EPP is shock-absorbing, lightweight and resistant to intensive use. We then tailored the case entirely to its contents and application. We also matched the colour of the closures to Itho Daalderop’s corporate identity.
At Faes, we look beyond the choice of material alone. We bring together the product, the user and the conditions in which the packaging will be used in one integrated packaging solution. Based on this analysis, we develop custom packaging that combines protection, ease of use and appearance. We apply the same approach to EPP packaging for medical products and devices.
Logistics in the medical sector often differ from those in other industries. Many hospitals do not have extensive logistics departments and are not always equipped to handle heavy packaging. Smaller clinics and training centres also often have limited resources for internal logistics.
EPP packaging helps medical suppliers serve customers in this sector more effectively by providing lightweight, durable packaging solutions that are easy to handle.
Curious whether EPP packaging is suitable for your business? Contact us to discuss how we can help you with a customized solution.
Carlo Leijten is an account manager at Faes specializing in medical applications and audiovisual equipment. He helps customers in these plastics industries develop customized packaging solutions that meet stringent requirements for protection, cleanability and mobility.
More articles by Carlo LeijtenGood packaging doesn’t happen by chance. Using a proven process, our specialists guide you step by step from the initial idea to the final product.
