Pharmapack 2026: A New Era of Accountable Pharma Packaging

Changes to sustainability reporting requirements are leading to renewed focus on supplier tools and packaging tenders, and driving a greater need for industry to adapt to ESG standards, reveals Morten Munk from FUJIFILM Biotechnologies.

Sustainability in the pharmaceutical sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation. What was once a peripheral corporate social responsibility goal has become a core operational requirement, driven by Scope 3 emissions reporting and biodiversity mandates. In this exclusive interview, ahead of Pharmapack 2026, Morten Munk, Senior Commercial Program Director at FUJIFILM Biotechnologies, explains how even smaller companies are now being swept into a net of high reporting expectations, requiring the total integration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics into every packaging tender and supplier assessment.

Integrating Sustainability

TPN: How have sustainability requirements changed for pharmaceutical packaging over recent years? Can you highlight key directives/regulations that companies must be aware of nowadays?

Munk: Reporting requirements have increased in recent years, and now even smaller companies are being held to increased reporting expectations, especially under Scope 3 emissions. This means that everyone in the packaging value chain needs to integrate sustainability requirements into packaging tenders and supplier assessments, as well as develop measurable goals and clear strategies for reporting on its goals and progress.

For the packaging industry specifically, biodiversity and deforestation trends also deserve close attention. Packaging is a major consumer of wood, and I expect consumers to increasingly demand documentation for timber used in packaging materials to ensure responsible sourcing. This is not trivial — more than 10 tree species from multiple regions might be involved in producing just a single packaging material.

Far from Harmonized

TPN: Are rules reasonably harmonized across regions or not? If not, can you provide any best practices for companies that can help them minimize efforts while maximizing their adherence to different regional requirements?

Munk: Rules and regulations are far from harmonized — even within regions. Our recent packaging tender gave us a clearer picture of supplier maturity.  We saw that if we ask the same set of ESG questions globally, we will need to interpret responses with local insight due to the differences in regional rules and requirements.

Because of this, I highly recommend participating in industry organizations and engaging at conferences and events like Pharmapack to align approaches, share best practices, and reduce bureaucracy while making sustainability efforts more effective.

A Stronger Focus

TPN: What does the future hold for sustainability requirements and pharma packaging, in your view? Are there proactive approaches companies can take to prepare?

Munk: We expect packaging sustainability to become a stronger focus in the years ahead. That’s why we’re starting to integrate ESG topics in our supplier tools, asking more questions in tenders, and following initiatives like PSCI and SMI. It’s still early days – but we believe it’s better to start adapting now, before it becomes mandatory.

Making Meaningful Progress

TPN: Finally, what are you most looking forward to at Pharmapack 2026 and, if you are exhibiting, where can visitors find you during the show?

Munk: My main goal is to meet and exchange ideas with partners who share my vision — and equally with those who have different perspectives and approaches. Those later conversations are where I learn the most and find inspiration to make meaningful progress, first and foremost for patients, who must always be top of mind, and who also eventually might be directly or indirectly affected by the industry’s environmental impact.

About the Interviewee

Morten Munk is a Senior Commercial Program Director at FUJIFILM Biotechnologies. He has spent more than 35 years in biopharmaceutical development and manufacturing, focused on making high-quality pharmaceutical products available to patients with a focus on minimizing negative impact on the environment. Over that time, Morten has become a globally recognized technical expert in biomanufacturing.

A common thread in Morten’s work is combining a strong business and quality mindset with a broad, end-to-end perspective on biomanufacturing. He supports all stages of biopharmaceutical development and the full supply chain, including the process development and scale-up phases that are critical for commercial manufacturing, as well as drug product operations and distribution.

Before joining FUJIFILM Biotechnologies in 2020, Morten was a Global Technology Partner at NNE (since 2015). In 2001, he co-founded CMC Biologics (now AGC Biologics), following 14 years at Novo Nordisk.

Morten is active in the biopharmaceutical community as a member of scientific committees for international conferences and as a volunteer in industry organizations including PDA, ISPE, and BPOG. He currently sits on the PDA Board of Directors and serves on the Advisory Board for the Master’s programs at the University of Copenhagen.

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