Environmental health and sustainability

Every Sept. 26, the world observes World Environmental Health Day, a reminder that a healthy environment is inseparable from public health. The occasion highlights the urgent need to address environmental risks that threaten communities and to promote actions that safeguard both people and the planet.

One of the most pressing challenges is plastic pollution, which harms human health across its entire lifecycle — from resource extraction and production, to use, and finally disposal. Mismanaged plastics contaminate ecosystems, worsen climate change, and jeopardize the systems that sustain well-being. Yet plastics remain indispensable in many areas of modern life, including healthcare, where they help ensure sterility, patient safety, and access to lifesaving medicines. Balancing these trade-offs requires science-based, evidence-informed approaches that protect health, maintain safety, and accelerate progress toward more sustainable solutions.

The innovative pharmaceutical industry has been proactively addressing its environmental footprint by adopting greener practices. Several companies are reducing plastic waste through recyclable and biodegradable packaging materials, while others are investing in green chemistry and continuous manufacturing to minimize environmental impact throughout the supply chain.

AstraZeneca, for example, redesigned its clinical trial packaging distribution system. Previously, bulky thermal boxes, each weighing 15 kilograms, were discarded after a single use. By working with a distribution partner to create a returns process, and even adding simple prompts like brightly colored instructions, AstraZeneca achieved a 98% packaging return rate across 35 countries. The result was that the reduced waste was equivalent to the weight of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet.

Meanwhile, Sanofi introduced a plastic-free influenza vaccine package made entirely of cardboard. The new design halves box size, optimizes storage, and cuts transportation needs by 30%. It also reduces the carbon footprint per box by 50% and lowers overall environmental impact by up to 50%.

Boehringer Ingelheim, guided by patient feedback, developed a reusable asthma inhaler that can accommodate up to six medication cartridges. The inhaler is propellant-free, producing 20 times fewer CO₂ emissions than conventional inhalers. By 2025, it is projected to prevent 776 tons of plastic waste or equivalent to over 77 million PET bottles and 14,300 tons of CO₂ emissions.

Also, GSK pioneered the UK’s first inhaler recycling program, “Complete the Cycle.” With more than 70 million inhalers prescribed annually in the UK, improper disposal posed serious environmental risks. By 2019, the scheme had already collected 2 million inhalers, while sparking broader conversations on creating a nationwide return system. Its success showed that patients, pharmacists, and healthcare providers can collaborate to reduce waste and greenhouse gases.

Novo Nordisk launched Returpen, a multistakeholder collaboration with Sanofi, Lilly, Merck, the Danish government, patient groups, and waste-management partners. The initiative tackles the challenge of recycling millions of injection pens used worldwide each year. Beyond recycling, Returpen is working to create an integrated, user-friendly solution for handling different types of medical waste, while ensuring compliance and sustainability across the supply chain.

These initiatives demonstrate that innovation in healthcare is not limited to new treatments. It also extends to how medicines are packaged, delivered, and disposed of, with sustainability at the core.

The industry is also engaged at the policy level. The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) represents the research-based sector in the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC), which is drafting a global plastics treaty. Adopted by the United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) in 2022, this proposed legally binding agreement aims to end plastic pollution by addressing its full lifecycle — from production to disposal. It seeks to protect health and ecosystems by promoting sustainable alternatives and fostering circular economies.

The pharmaceutical industry supports this treaty as a harmonized, global approach that balances environmental stewardship with patient safety. Companies are investing in greener products, sustainable production, and responsible distribution practices to deliver medical innovation in ways that are both effective and environmentally sound.

Protecting environmental health is inseparable from protecting human health. As these industry efforts show, progress depends on partnerships across governments, businesses, healthcare providers, and communities. By rethinking how products are designed, used, and recycled, it is possible to reduce waste, lower emissions, and build more sustainable health systems.

As the world confronts climate change and environmental degradation, the challenge is clear that safeguarding health requires safeguarding the environment. The pharmaceutical industry is committed to being part of this journey, helping ensure that the treatments and technologies people depend on today do not compromise the well-being of future generations.

Teodoro B. Padilla is the executive director of Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines, which represents the biopharmaceutical medicines and vaccines industry in the country. Its members are at the forefront of developing, investing and delivering innovative medicines, vaccines and diagnostics for Filipinos to live healthier and more productive lives.