Sustainability Program Addresses Pharma Manufacturing Waste

Aptar’s Landfill Free Certification program addresses the issue of waste production from pharmaceutical manufacturing processes by prompting its facilities to reduce and reuse operation waste. The internal program, which was first introduced in 2013, is based on protocol established by the Zero Waste International Alliance Guidelines.

Program certification processes are scored through a standardized scorecard that ensures all sites are evaluated homogeneously. To receive the certification, facilities must reuse or recycle a minimum of 90% of operation wastes and pass a third-party audit to validate compliance with program requirements, which include legal compliance with both regional and national environment regulations, as well as waste traceability and supply-chain management. Additionally, the program limits the amount of waste allowed to be incinerated. Certified sites also are surveyed annually and audited every three years to renew the certification.

According to the company, 21 of its international facilities, which is more than 40% of its manufacturing sites, are currently certified as of July 2017, including three Aptar Pharma sites in Le Vaudreuil, France, Val-de-Reuil, France, and Mezzovico, Switzerland. Company data reports that since 2014, the program has allowed for the recycling of 30,000 metric tons of waste among all certified sites, with 1210 metric tons of waste sent to landfill. By the end 2016, company data reported each of the three certified Pharma sites diverted at least 94% of generated waste from the landfill, an increase over 2015.

Four additional Aptar Pharma facilities, located in the United States and Europe, have started the certification process and are expected to receive certification between 2018 and 2019, according to the company.

Source: AptarGroup