Advancing sustainability within the pharmaceutical industry

CEO of Cipla South Africa, Paul Miller.Image: Supplied

CEO of Cipla South Africa, Paul Miller.Image: Supplied

Published May 26, 2022

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By Paul Miller

Bold and exciting developments continue to take place around the world. We're constantly experiencing new waves of technology: transport apps such as Uber have changed the way we commute, Tinder has revolutionized the dating scene, streaming services such as Netflix is now the norm for accessing content, and Airbnb have profoundly impacted the travel industry.

As with everything, sometimes you have to take the good with the bad. So, the environment has become a victim of our progress.

As a result, the way we do business has to change. Sustainability has become more than just a business imperative – it is vital for our future. Therefore, corporations are expected to engage in sustainable practices that are beneficial to people and the environment.

Climate change is a reality we cannot ignore. It’s impacting every country on every continent. It’s disrupting national economies and affecting lives. And as sea levels rise and weather patterns change, extreme weather events are getting more frequent and severe.

While it might not be the first industry that comes to mind when you think of pollution, the pharmaceutical industry is a momentous contributor to climate change and environmental pollution. Approximately 1% to 5% of global emissions are attributed to the healthcare industry and around 16.25% of carbon emissions come from the pharmaceutical industry.

The pharmaceutical supply chain impacts the environment in many ways, from development to manufacturing, packaging, and waste disposal. In 2019, a study found that, despite having a market that is 28% smaller, the global pharmaceutical industry produces 13% more carbon emissions making medicines than car manufacturers.

While pharmaceutical companies intend to develop life-saving medications to help patients live longer, healthier, and more productive lives, these medications are developed in such a way that could pose risks to the health and safety of those they intend to protect. Cipla has committed to focusing on green chemistry.

Pharma impact on climate change

As the world’s population continues to expand, pharmaceutical products – generally drugs and chemical-based care products – have continued to become more prevalent. They play a significant role in modern life but polluting the environment because of their use and disposal is a growing concern.

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) can have detrimental effects on ecosystems and humans as a result of environmental exposure. APIs are usually released to the environment during the manufacturing process as well as usage and disposal by individuals.

Several pharmaceutical compounds have a long lasting effect in the environment and in water supplies. For instance, antibiotics contain substances that may disrupt the sewage treatment process and the microbial ecology of surface water.

The ones that are present in the sewage treatment systems might inhibit the activity of the sewage bacteria, and thus could drastically affect organic matter decomposition4. With anti-microbial resistance (AMR) being an urgent global healthcare challenge, Cipla strives to be at the forefront of AMR stewardship.

As concentrations rise, chemicals begin to harm the environment. Some drugs, like antiepileptics, are persistent, while some are pseudo-persistent, meaning they gradually degrade over time.

Consumers are also responsible for a significant portion of the pharmaceutical and personal care products that end up in streams, groundwater, lakes, and rivers. It is not uncommon to find unused or expired medications stored in a home cabinet, and only a fraction is disposed of correctly.

A portion of the medication we swallow is metabolized by our bodies. The remaining part can be sweated out, but the large part is excreted from the body through urine or fecal matter, meaning the excreta will be part of the wastewater and eventually will be in the environment.

Companies are now increasingly taking steps towards reducing environmental impact and preserve natural resources by publicizing their commitments to sustainability goals and investing in "green" chemistry, as well as equipment and manufacturing practices that support these goals.

Cipla’s “green” contribution

Pharma is the most dynamic part of the chemical industry. It's on the cutting edge of big changes in 'greener' feedstocks, safer solvents, and alternative processes.

Not only will these changes enhance the environmental credentials of the pharmaceutical industry, but they will also lower manufacturing costs and materials, moving the pharmaceutical industry in the right direction. It is imperative that pharmaceutical companies treat ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) as one of their key business initiatives.

At Cipla, we are extremely conscious of the impact our resource consumption brings, that’s why our ESG goals are anchored towards reducing our environmental footprint, expanding healthcare access, and building globally benchmarked governance practices. Cipla aims to achieve zero waste to landfill, green chemistry, ensuring wellbeing of our employees and partners, along with attaining carbon and water neutrality by 2025. By 2030, Cipla aims to be a step ahead by being carbon and water positive.

Pharmaceutical manufacturing plants are often incapable of filtering out all the chemical compounds used in their manufacturing process and consequently, the chemicals will seep into the surrounding freshwater systems and eventually into the oceans, lakes, streams, and rivers. At Cipla, we are transforming energy and also looking at reducing our water and waste footprints by building environmentally friendly structures such as solar power and rainwater harvesting.

We are significantly investing in our water recycling initiatives because of our commitment to Zero Liquid Discharge by 2025, meaning a drop of water that enters our facilities never leaves.

In Uganda, CiplaQCIL adopted a resource efficiency for their water, energy and raw materials. The Company’s approved and certified Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) handles both industrial and domestic wastewater generated through our operations. To save energy and water resources, the treated wastewater is often reused for watering the grass and flowers around the premises and this is beneficial to the environment. There exists a fully equipped ETP Laboratory to monitor discharge quality and to ensure discharge is within permissible limits. A moving Bed Bio reactor was also installed at ETP to improve on wastewater discharge quality.

We are also currently implementing innovative measures – such as digitizing package inserts (PI) – to reduce its carbon footprint. The PI will be accessible on a number of newly launched products initially, simply by scanning the QR code on the medicine packaging. The digitized PI ensures convenient access to up-to-date information as it can be easily updated and also helps improve legibility as the font on the printed versions is generally very small. It also helps to significantly reduce the number of printed inserts required, thereby preserving natural resources.

Cipla will soon begin its recycling program for inhalers to prevent the incorrect disposal of inhalers that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. We are also collaborating with local enterprises to upcycle our recyclable materials into beautiful, functional items such as backpacks, mobile phone covers, plant holders and name tags.

From an organisational perspective, going green offers employees, contractors, volunteers, and other partners, the opportunity to influence and make a tangible difference. We are also upskilling our staff to empower them to play a more active role in helping us become carbon neutral, and eventually become a carbon positive business. Our commitment to “caring for life” means we care for our staff, for our patients, the community, and for our planet.

*Paul Miller, CEO of Cipla South Africa

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