Why Cotton in Pill Bottle Packaging is Still Relevant Today
Placing cotton in pill bottles has been a longstanding tradition since Bayer first introduced it in their aspirin bottles over a century ago. Since then, this practice has continued among countless pharmaceutical and supplement manufacturers worldwide.
Today we’re going to cover the topic of cotton in pill bottles and discuss key topics like:
- Why is there cotton in pill bottles?
- Does cotton still have a use today in pharmaceutical packaging?
- What to look for in a high-quality cotton inserter machine
Why Is There Cotton in Pill Bottles?
Cotton was first introduced in pill bottles when Bayer began pressing powder into tablets. At the time, the process was far less sophisticated than what manufacturers can accomplish today using a modern tablet press machine.
As a result, the tablets would break apart more easily inside their container. To help protect consumers and ensure product integrity, the company began placing cotton in their pill bottles to prevent the pills from moving. The logic was that the less the pill moved inside the bottle, the less chance it would have to break.
Is Cotton Still Useful Today?
While including cotton in pill bottles has received criticism over the years, there are still some practical benefits of continuing the practice. These include, but are not limited to:
Consumer Expectation
The consumer experience drives all aspects of supplement manufacturing. The lid of a pharmaceutical bottle must be easy to open for adults, yet difficult for children. Packaging needs to catch the shopper’s eye on store shelves. Pill sizes must be big enough to deliver the appropriate dose, but also small enough that someone can reasonably swallow it.
Similarly, many people expect there to be cotton greeting them when they open a new bottle of over-the-counter pharmaceutical products. If for no reason other than appealing to the consumer, placing cotton in the bottle can be a key component of the end-user experience.
An Extra Layer of Product Protection
Since cotton was first placed inside a pill bottle one hundred years ago, the original purpose remains the same. Cotton is primarily intended to restrict product movement inside the packaging.
With today’s shipping capabilities, your products are traveling to store shelves via air, land, and sea on a daily basis. Having something inside the bottle that adds an extra layer of protection can aid in reducing the risk of lost revenue due to damaged products in transit.
Not All Tablets Are Created Equal
Tablets can be made of a variety of different powders pressed together. Keeping this in mind, some powders are more robust and resistant to movement than others. When you have cotton inside, this can grant added peace of mind that more fragile products will successfully make it into consumers hands.
Easy to Do
Today’s modern cotton inserter machines provide an easy way to place your cotton inside the pill bottle. It becomes a natural component of your packaging operations with seamless process integration.
What to Look for in a High-End Cotton Inserter
Consistent, Yet Adjustable Cotton Lengths
Though cotton is a relatively inexpensive commodity, it is an out-of-pocket expense for your business. To ensure that your cotton inserts are consistent, you need a machine that is capable of cutting consistently. Also, the machine should be able to adjust the length of the cotton to compensate for various container sizes.
Automated Function
Sitting on a packaging line and manually inserting cotton into each package can feel like a daunting task in a short amount of time. So that your team can focus priorities elsewhere, look for a cotton inserter that offers as much automation as possible. For example:
- Automatic bottle detection
- Automatic height adjustment
- Automatic stop and start
High-Volume Production
Some cotton inserter machines will handle larger quantities of containers than others in the same time span. Consider the number of packages that need cotton in your daily, weekly, or
monthly production schedule and select a system that can meet these requirements.
Get The Right Cotton Inserter for Your Production Needs
Since our founding, CapPlus has partnered with pharmaceutical manufacturers throughout the world to deliver better solutions for their specific needs. To learn more about high-end cotton inserter machines, view our selection here or contact us any time to speak with one of our team members.