Hardware Podcasts

323 - Nerding Out on Medical Packaging & Ditching PVC with Keith Smith of Vonco

People of Packaging · 8 Sept 2025 · 35m

What this episode covers

Keith E. Smith, President of Vonco Products, explains how his company is helping medical device manufacturers transition away from PVC by using proprietary technology to weld polypropylene on existing radio frequency (RF) equipment. He details the regulatory and supply chain challenges of replacing PVC in blood and IV bags, noting that material changes affect shelf life and require extensive validation. Smith also discusses how Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws and tariffs on materials like foil are driving innovation toward more sustainable, single-stream plastic solutions and refill pouches for consumer goods.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Vonco, Method, Josie Moran, Sunday Fertilizer, BD, Johnson & Johnson, Becton Dickinson
Tools
radio frequency, Specright, Triac
Materials
PVC, polypropylene

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