Labelling on plastic jars & containers

For many medicines, the plastic bottle is the primary packaging that the patient uses throughout the course of treatment. This means that it should not only protect the contents – it should also carry all the information required for safe use.

Unlike a shipping carton or medicine box, the plastic container stays with the patient until the medicine is used up. The labelling must therefore be clear, durable and contain all the required information even after the outer packaging has been discarded.

At Logimark, we help pharmaceutical manufacturers choose the right technology for labelling plastic jars & containers based on the product's function, the production line design, and the regulatory requirements that apply to each application.

The plastic jar is more than a container

A plastic jar does not only function as packaging. It is also an information carrier. When the patient opens the medicine box and starts using the product, the plastic jar is often the only remaining packaging.

Therefore, it needs to contain information such as:

• product name
• drug strength
• dosage information
• batch number
• expiration date
• storage instructions
• manufacturer
• traceability information

This means that the label plays a much greater role than simply identifying the product in production. It must be legible throughout the product's entire life cycle.

Booklet labels – when the information doesn't fit

One of the biggest differences between a medicine box and a plastic jar is the amount of information that must accompany the product. A medicine box typically contains a separate package insert. Therefore, when the patient opens the box, all the detailed information is already there in paper form.

A plastic can, on the other hand, is often sold without an outer carton or is used separately after the carton has been thrown away. To ensure that important information is always available, so-called booklet labelsA booklet label consists of a multi-page label where several information sheets are integrated directly into the label.

It may contain:

• complete user manual
• dosage information
• warnings
• safety information
• information in multiple languages

This way, the manufacturer can meet regulatory requirements without having to increase the size of the packaging itself.

The production rate is higher than many believe

Plastic jars are often handled much faster than cartons. The reason is that they usually come directly from the filling line where tablets or capsules are automatically filled. Unlike carton lines, there is rarely a slower carton erector or carton sealer that limits the production rate.

The labelling system must therefore be able to work at the same high speed as the filling machine without becoming a bottleneck in production.

When is the information written directly on the plastic can?

In some productions, the pre-printed label is used solely as a design and information carrier. The variable information is instead printed directly on the plastic can or on the lid. This applies in particular when:

• batch number varies between productions
• labels are produced well in advance
• the same label is used for multiple batches

This allows the manufacturer to stock large quantities of identical labels while adding batch information and dates only when the product is filled, reducing inventory costs and providing greater flexibility in production planning.

A complete marking solution includes more than just the printer itself

When we design solutions for labelling plastic cans & containers, the work is rarely just about choosing the right printer. Equally important is ensuring that the entire production flow works.

This includes, among other things:

• label application
• variable marking
• vision control
• recipe control
• integration with higher-level systems
• automatic sorting of faulty products

Only when all these parts work together is a solution created that meets the pharmaceutical industry's high demands for quality, traceability and patient safety.