Better by Nature: Paper Packaging’s Role in Medication Protection
When it comes to packaging and protecting medication, the stakes couldn’t be higher. Packaging is the first line of defense against environmental threats, damage during transport, and contamination. But it also carries another responsibility: to protect people and the planet. For decades, plastics have dominated the pharmaceutical packaging landscape. Yet mounting evidence shows that paper—when engineered properly—can deliver superior protection while offering significant environmental and health benefits.
Paper isn’t just an eco-friendly alternative. It is a material with unique thermal, mechanical, and lifecycle advantages that make it well-suited for modern healthcare needs. And at the forefront of this shift is the Tully Tube, the world’s only ultra-sustainable pill bottle, proving that what protects nature can also better protect medicine and people.
The Environmental Case for Paper
One of the most powerful reasons to prioritize paper over plastic is its environmental profile. Unlike plastics, which are fossil-fuel based and persist for centuries, paper is renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable. According to an analysis published in Bio Based Press (2025), paper packaging not only comes from renewable resources but is reused and recycled far more effectively than plastics. In countries like the Netherlands, paper and cardboard recycling rates surpass 80%, with fibers reused five to seven times before degrading. By contrast, plastics struggle with recycling efficiency and often end up as waste.
The same analysis highlights another critical difference: while plastics fragment into harmful microplastics, paper decomposes relatively quickly without leaving behind long-lasting pollutants. From a sustainability standpoint, this gives paper a massive advantage in reducing environmental burden and protecting ecosystems.
Protection Beyond the Planet: Thermal and Mechanical Strength
Sustainability alone does not justify paper’s role in protecting medicines. Packaging must safeguard sensitive drugs from heat, moisture, and damage. Paper—when processed and engineered correctly—shows impressive capabilities.
Research published in Frontiers in Built Environment examined cellulose-based insulation boards, made partly from recycled paper fibers. The study found these materials had thermal conductivity values around 0.03 to 0.04 W/m·K—comparable to traditional insulation. In other words, paper can act as an effective thermal barrier, protecting medicines from temperature fluctuations that degrade drug stability and render them ineffective.
The same study found that cellulose composites can achieve compressive strengths above 20 MPa. For packaging, this means that properly engineered paper structures can withstand pressure, impacts, and stacking during transport. Pills housed in well-designed paper bottles or cartons are protected not only from environmental stresses but also from mechanical ones.
Paper’s Natural Safety Advantages
Another major advantage of paper lies in its safety profile. Unlike plastics, paper does not shed microplastics or leach plasticizers into the environment. For patients, this translates into greater trust and less risk of indirect exposure to synthetic residues.
An accessible experiment highlighted on Teach Me Mommy compared how paper and plastic break down in natural environments. The findings, while simple, underscore an important truth: paper decomposes cleanly and quickly, whereas plastics persist, fragment, and pollute soil and water systems. Though not a laboratory study of pharmaceutical-grade materials, the experiment offers a striking visual reminder of paper’s safer, more sustainable end-of-life journey.
At the scale that medication packaging is currently produced, this matters. Patients and caregivers can dispose of paper packaging through mainstream recycling or composting systems, rather than contributing to long-lived plastic waste. This ease of disposal is not only a convenience—it enhances safety by reducing the likelihood of packaging ending up as harmful environmental residue.
Overcoming the Traditional Challenges of Paper
Of course, paper packaging faces challenges. Pills are sensitive to moisture and light, and untreated paper alone may not provide adequate barriers. There are also questions of sterility and long-term durability.
Yet modern engineering is closing these gaps. Biodegradable coatings, hybrid paper, biofilm laminates, and innovative structural designs now allow paper packaging to resist humidity, block UV light, and preserve sterility. Meanwhile, robust mechanical design ensures bottles and cartons maintain their form through transport and handling.
With these enhancements, paper not only matches, it surpasses the protective qualities of traditional plastic containers.
Why Paper Improves Patient Safety
Beyond protecting pills, paper packaging also supports the well-being of patients themselves. Unlike plastics, paper packaging doesn’t contribute to the growing microplastics problem, which has been linked to human exposure in food, water, and even air. Patients can feel confident that their packaging choice is safer for them as well as for the environment in the long-term.
Paper also enhances the patient experience. Packaging that feels natural, safe, and sustainable can positively influence patient adherence. When people trust their medicine packaging—and feel good about using it—they are more likely to follow regimens consistently. This simple psychological shift can have measurable outcomes in healthcare.
Spotlight on Tully Tube: The Ultra-Sustainable Pill Bottle
All of these benefits come to life in the Tully Tube, the world’s only ultra-sustainable pill bottle. Unlike conventional bottles, which are made almost entirely of plastic, Tully Tube is built with paper and fiber-based materials that embody the best of what paper has to offer.
Renewable by Design: Tully Tube relies on sustainably-sourced cellulose fibers, aligning with the renewable raw material advantages described by Bio Based Press. This reduces reliance on petroleum-based plastics.
Recyclable and Biodegradable: With the majority of its structure designed for easy recycling and clean decomposition, Tully Tube fits seamlessly into the circular economy. Patients can dispose of it responsibly without concern for long-lived plastic waste.
Protective Integrity: By leveraging engineering insights similar to those studied in Frontiers in Built Environment, Tully Tube maintains structural strength and thermal stability. Medicines inside are shielded from environmental stressors, ensuring safety and efficacy.
Safer for People: By avoiding plastics and their associated risks, Tully Tube delivers on both health and sustainability. Non-toxic inks and adhesives reinforce its safety credentials.
Trustworthy Experience: Like the simple demonstration in Teach Me Mommy’s experiment shows, paper breaks down cleanly. Patients using Tully Tube know their packaging is designed to disappear naturally, not linger as pollution.
Tully Tube is proof that the choice of packaging can align with the highest standards of safety, sustainability, and human-centered design. It shows that protecting medicine doesn’t have to come at the planet’s expense, and that sustainability can actively enhance patient safety and confidence.
Conclusion
Packaging is not just a container. It is a statement of values and a shield for health. Paper packaging, with its renewable origins, protective capabilities, and safer lifecycle, represents a fundamental step forward in how we protect both medicines and people.
The evidence is clear: paper outperforms plastic in recyclability, biodegradability, and environmental safety. Properly engineered, it provides strong thermal and mechanical protection, while avoiding the risks and pollution associated with plastics.
And with innovations like the Tully Tube leading the way, paper packaging is no longer a compromise—it is the better choice. For medicines, for patients, and for the planet, the future is truly better by nature.
Sources
Beuker, N. (2025). Why paper packaging is better for the environment than plastic. Bio Based Press. https://www.biobasedpress.eu/2025/04/why-paper-packaging-is-better-for-the-environment-than-plastic/
Farid, M. et al. (2023). Thermal insulation material produced from recycled materials for building applications: cellulose and rice husk-based material. Frontiers in Built Environment. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/built-environment/articles/10.3389/fbuil.2023.1271317/full
Paper versus Plastic Experiment. Teach Me Mommy. https://www.teach-me-mommy.com/paper-versus-plastic-experiment/