Purpose <p>Polymers are widely used in nutraceutical and pharmaceutical packaging due to their properties, despite environmental concerns due to their fossil origin. Innovation for environmental sustainability is a driver and promotes ecodesign to reduce environmental impacts, including adopting novel bio-based materials and recycling of packaging. Life cycle assessment is a well-known method to assess the environmental impacts of products throughout their entire life cycle and to support ecodesign.</p> Methods <p>A cradle-to-grave LCA assessed the environmental impacts of a nutraceutical bottle currently made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE). The current bottle is compared with potential future bottles made of alternative materials to HDPE: novel hemp fiber polymer composite; recycled polymer; or two fossil polymers. This study is novel, as no previous LCA was found for pharmaceutical or nutraceutical packaging made of biocomposites or recycled polymers. End-of-life treatments for the bottles are also compared (incineration, landfill, recycling), and two allocation approaches (cut-off and 50/50) for recycled polymer. The distribution of the bottles to national and international clients is also analyzed, considering different modes of transport (truck, ship, and aircraft).</p> Results and discussion <p>The future bottle made of polypropylene composite with 40% hemp fiber and the bottle with HDPE and 30% recycled polymer from post-hospital waste are the alternatives with the largest potential to reduce impacts compared to the current HDPE bottle. The results also show that impacts depend on the allocation approach adopted to model recycled polymer. The mode of transport by truck and airplane for distribution to international clients represents a large share (up to 42%) of the impacts.</p> Conclusions <p>This article highlights the potential of future bottles made of polymer composites with natural fibers and recycled polymers as ecodesign strategies to reduce the environmental impacts of nutraceutical bottles currently made of HDPE. Further research should investigate the potential of other polymer composites with natural fibers for future nutraceutical bottles and consider the importance of analyzing different allocation approaches for recycled polymers.</p>