Environmental sustainability in the pharmaceutical industry

The entire world has heightened its focus on environmental sustainability. Driven to address the global threat of climate change and safeguard our planet, organisations across a variety of sectors are seeking new ways to operate more sustainably and reduce environmental impact. The pharmaceutical industry is no exception. For drug developers and manufacturers, embracing greener practices and processes has become a key strategic priority.

The pharmaceutical industry often involves significant processing for a relatively small amount of active ingredient. Industry-wide, efforts are focused on reducing the waste generated by processing and making sure waste product is used rather than disposed of. As biotechnology and pharmaceutical organisations turn to outsourced service providers, they are increasingly focused on identifying partners that take environmental sustainability seriously.

We are always looking for new ways to enhance environmental sustainability and better manage waste throughout the lifecycle of a product at Sterling, from on-site improvements like energy-efficient lighting and bulk nitrogen systems, to more significant investments like our anaerobic digestion plant and combined heat and power plant that drive progress toward energy self-sufficiency. We are committed to addressing a full range of pharmaceutical waste, treating waste waters at our on-site biological treatment plant, handling hybrid waste through anaerobic digestion, and finding ways to recover and reuse solvent waste.

In our daily operations, we also work to achieve more sustainable processes by embracing techniques such as enzymatic recycling, which are inherently focused on waste minimisation. We believe sustainability is built upon innovation, and we ultimately aim to be completely carbon neutral. Our entire team is empowered to identify, develop, and implement new ideas to reduce our environmental impact.

Our work is far from over. We continue to do more and more every day as a natural extension of our commitment to serving our customers, our employees, our local community, and our world, as well as our dedication to achieving carbon neutrality.

The pharmaceutical industry is making strides towards greater environmental sustainability, and the right partner can empower you to minimise your environmental footprint today. Together, we can reduce our impact and make a meaningful change.