From leveraging solar-powered plants to reducing raw material usage, pharmaceutical companies and suppliers are leaning into the world of sustainability—and for good reason. As-is, the healthcare industry accounts for about 5% of global emissions . The pharmaceutical industry itself faces a significant challenge in reducing its emissions footprint, a task made more urgent by the United Nations' ambitious goal of attaining net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050. Here are three ways pharmaceutical suppliers are committing to improving sustainability in the industry.
1. Embracing Scope 1, 2, and 3 Emissions Reduction
Categories of emissions, defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as Scope 1, 2, and 3, cover direct emissions from sources the organization owns, emissions from purchased energy, and indirect emissions from an organization's value chain and operations respectively.
To address these challenges, pharmaceutical manufacturers have started partnering with climate-conscious suppliers such as Corning. With a proven track record, Corning has been an ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year for 11 straight years, showcasing its commitment to adopting renewable energy sources, enhancing manufacturing energy efficiency, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
“At Corning, we aim to design our products in a way that enables our customers to reduce their Scope 1 and 2 emissions,” said Sarah Dowdall, Program Director, Sustainability, Corning Life Sciences. “By choosing Corning as a supplier, pharmaceutical companies can also reduce their Scope 3 impact because of our Science Based Target Initiative (SBTi)-aligned emission reduction goals.”
2. Reducing Waste Through Green Chemistry
Beyond emissions reduction, the pharma industry also grapples with the immense challenge of material waste—from raw materials and packaging components, to manufacturing scrap. A more sustainable approach to this issue is the adoption of green chemistry, a set of principles geared towards reducing the environmental impact of chemical processes.
Corning, as a sustainability-focused supplier, champions this cause by integrating environmentally friendly principles into its innovation process. For example, by designing products that utilize smaller volumes of starting materials, less waste is created during manufacturing. The goal is to design products and processes that minimize material waste without compromising manufacturing performance.
3. Increasing Industry Circularity
Circularity is central to sustainability, particularly in the context of pharmaceutical glass vials. Since glass vials are single-use products, it's vital to find areas throughout their life cycle where waste can be decreased. By introducing circularity into the manufacturing process, suppliers can reprocess and reintegrate waste into the manufacturing chain, reducing the reliance on raw materials.
Corning is committed to circularity in its pharmaceutical glass tubing and manufacturing processes. Over 95% of glass cullet—excess glass usually discarded in the tube forming process—is recycled back into Corning’s manufacturing process to make glass tubing for pharmaceutical vials. This practice not only mitigates environmental harm but also contributes to the industry's broader sustainability targets.
Pharmaceutical Supplier Sustainability
The path to sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry is paved with ambitious commitments and innovative solutions. By targeting Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, adopting green chemistry, and promoting industry circularity, suppliers such as Corning are playing a pivotal role in the industry's sustainability journey.
To learn more, read the ebook "Sustainable Strategies for Pharmaceutical Glass Packaging" for actionable insights for procurement managers seeking sustainable manufacturing partners.