Sustainable Procurement & CSR News - Pharmaceutical Industry

The economic shutdown under the Covid-19 pandemic has had two monumental impacts on our environment. It has improved our air and water quality dramatically, and slashed our material consumption, water usage and waste production.

Data from the CPCB (Central Pollution Control Board) and the UPPCB (Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board) shows that the Ganga’s water along its most polluted stretch in Uttar Pradesh is carrying more dissolved oxygen and less nitrates. These conditions are conducive to survival of aquatic life. Its biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) has correspondingly fallen, along with the concentration of total coliform, which is a testament to improved water quality. Similar positive developments have been reported for the Yamuna.

The global pharmaceutical packaging market has been predicted to double to $149bn in a decade, with India one of the markets currently producing a large quantity of plastic pharmaceutical packaging. Large multinational pharma packaging companies, such as Amcor, Huhtamaki, West Pharma and SGD Pharma, along with Indian companies, including UFlex and EsselPropack, lead the way within the country’s pharma packaging market. One pharmaceutical challenge India faces is its heavily reliance on plastic packaging, which has triggered discussions on recycling and the lack of consumer knowledge in sustainability. In addition, India’s pharmaceutical packaging market is working towards creating innovative features like digital timers and alarms on pill bottles, dose monitoring and innovative mechanised blister packs.