OEM News

Olympus Teams With DuPont on Sustainable Packaging for its Endotherapeutic Devices

Olympus will introduce packaging using DuPont Tyvek with Renewable Attribution at its Japanese and Vietnamese manufacturing plants.

By: Michael Barbella

Managing Editor

Tyvek with Renewable Attribution is based on ISCC-certified bio-circular feedstocks attributed to Tyvek products via the ISCC PLUS mass balance approach. Diagram: DuPont.

Olympus Corporation is joining forces with DuPont de Nemours Inc. (DuPont) to introduce more environmentally responsible packaging solutions for its single-use endotherapeutic devices, using DuPont Tyvek with Renewable Attribution. Olympus will begin incorporating Tyvek into the sterile packaging of more than 100 single-use device categories beginning next year.

As part of its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy, Olympus has designated “Carbon Neutral Society and Circular Economy” as a focal area and has committed to achieving a circular economy through product stewardship.

“As a global medtech company, we recognize our responsibility to advance sustainability without compromising the trust and safety that patients and healthcare professionals expect from us,” Olympus Executive Officer/Chief Technology Officer Syed Naveed said. “The adoption of Tyvek with Renewable Attribution in our packaging marks a significant step in reducing our carbon footprint while preserving the integrity and safety of our medical devices.”

As the first phase in its Dupont collaboration, Olympus will introduce medical device packaging using DuPont Tyvek with Renewable Attribution at its manufacturing plants in Japan and Vietnam, covering more than 100 single-use device categories, including sampling and therapeutic devices for gastrointestinal and respiratory endoscopes. Tyvek with Renewable Attribution uses a certified mass balance1 approach to integrate renewable feedstocks, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and the carbon footprint of healthcare packaging—without compromising performance or regulatory compliance.

This switch is expected to lower CO2 emissions by approximately one-third of Tyvek’s total carbon footprint. Olympus will expand the initiative gradually to additional manufacturing sites and product lines in subsequent phases. Through this packaging advancement, Olympus is accelerating its path toward carbon neutrality and meeting growing industry and regulatory expectations for environmentally conscious design.

“Tyvek with Renewable Attribution is designed to help reduce the carbon footprint of a product while providing a drop-in solution that can be seamlessly integrated into existing healthcare packaging products. We are excited to work with Olympus and help advance sustainability in the healthcare sector,” DuPont Vice President/General Manager David Domnisch stated.

DuPont Tyvek with Renewable Attribution is a sustainability-focused innovation that is an extension of the existing DuPont Tyvek Healthcare Packaging Products, offering a significantly reduced carbon footprint. This advancement is made possible by the partial replacement of fossil fuel-based raw materials with certified renewable feedstocks using a mass balance approach, in accordance with International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS2 standards.

As a global medical technology company, Olympus partners with healthcare professionals to provide solutions and services for early detection, diagnosis, and minimally invasive treatment, aiming to improve patient outcomes by elevating care standards in targeted disease states. For more than 100 years, Olympus has produced products designed to deliver optimal outcomes for customers worldwide.

References
1 Mass balance approach is a globally recognized model used to determine raw material inputs and outputs. It is designed to work with existing production systems where both certified and non-certified feedstocks are mixed. The amount of sustainable raw material is carefully tracked and attributed to specific products enabling full traceability of materials.
2 Sustainability certification program developed ISCC for establishing chain of custody for sustainable supply chains in a traceable and transparent manner. developed by ISCC.

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