In a major leap towards decarbonizing the specialty glass industry, SCHOTT has officially begun construction of an electric glass melting tank that will power its next-generation FIOLAX® Pro OCF pharmaceutical tubing. With a bold vision to cut carbon emissions in half, the company is combining advanced electric melting technology with 100% green electricity offering the pharmaceutical sector a sustainable alternative with no compromise on quality.
Pioneering Glass with an Optimized Carbon Footprint
FIOLAX® has long been the gold standard in borosilicate pharmaceutical glass, trusted for over a century in the production of vials, ampoules, syringes, and cartridges. With the introduction of FIOLAX® Pro OCF short for "Optimized Carbon Footprint" SCHOTT is writing a new chapter in its sustainability journey. The glass maintains the high-quality performance of its predecessor but comes with a dramatically reduced environmental impact.
The innovation lies in the electrified melting process, which slashes emissions from the melting phase by up to 80%. Factoring in the entire lifecycle including raw material extraction and post-processing FIOLAX® Pro OCF achieves a 50% reduction in total CO₂ emissions compared to traditional production methods.
Certified Transparency You Can Trust
SCHOTT isn’t just setting technical benchmarks it’s also prioritizing transparency. The Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) of FIOLAX® Pro OCF has been externally verified by GUTcert, an independent certification body, and follows globally recognized standards like ISO 14067, the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol, and TfS (Together for Sustainability) guidelines.
This level of certification offers downstream benefits: SCHOTT’s customers can now accurately calculate the environmental footprint of their own pharmaceutical packaging using verified data from the glass supplier.
A €40 Million Investment in Climate Innovation
This innovation isn’t theoretical. Construction has officially started on a state-of-the-art electric melting tank at SCHOTT’s Mitterteich facility in Germany. Set to begin production by early 2027, the €40 million project is co-funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, with nearly €15 million coming from the EU’s "NextGenerationEU" initiative under the “Decarbonization of Industry” program.
Dr. Torsten Derr, CEO of SCHOTT, emphasized the significance:
“This pilot tank marks the beginning of a fundamental shift in our industry. We're investing in technology that not only minimizes emissions but also strengthens our competitive edge.”
Ready for the Future of Sustainable Pharma
The FIOLAX® Pro OCF product line is designed for all primary packaging formats—from syringes and cartridges to vials and ampoules. SCHOTT is currently offering samples of FIOLAX® Pro for customer testing and validation, ensuring that partners will be well-prepared when full-scale production launches in 2027.
As Dr. Patrick Markschläger, EVP of SCHOTT’s Tubing business, puts it:
“With our new melting technology, we are setting a new standard for CO₂e-reduced solutions in pharmaceutical packaging. It’s a major step forward in our mission to decarbonize production and enable more climate-friendly healthcare.”