The pharmaceutical industry has a crucial role in modern healthcare, but it also has a significant environmental footprint. From large-scale solvent use and carbon emissions to water pollution and chemical waste, drug development and manufacturing have a considerable impact on the environment across every stage of the value chain.
Pharmaceutical operations, including production, distribution, and disposal, contribute significantly to pollution and climate change. The carbon emissions of the pharmaceutical industry have been estimated to be up to 55% higher than those of the automotive sector.1
Pharmaceutical waste (solvents, reagents, packaging, etc.) is a cause of concern. Pollutants reach ecosystems through various pathways: excretion of unmetabolized drugs, effluent from manufacturing plants, runoff from agricultural use, and domestic wastewater. Active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) and their transformation products have been found in water, soil, and even food chains.2
Growing environmental concerns and tighter regulations emphasize the importance of sustainability and put pressure on industries to adopt greener, more responsible practices such as green chemistry, which is among the most promising approaches.
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What is green chemistry?
Defined in the 1990s by Paul Anastas and John Warner, green chemistry is a framework for designing safer, more sustainable chemical processes, enabling cost savings and regulatory compliance, as well as reputational gains.3
Green chemistry is based on twelve principles. Among them are waste prevention, atom economy – which aims to maximize the incorporation of all materials used in the process into the final product – and the use of safer solvents and reaction conditions to reduce energy requirements and toxicity.
The energy efficiency principle recommends conducting reactions at ambient temperature and pressure, while the catalysis principle aims to use small quantities of catalysts instead of stoichiometric reagents, therefore reducing waste.
Another principle is design for degradation, which states that chemicals should be designed so they degrade at the end of their function and do not persist in the environment.
These principles often contrast with traditional synthetic methods that prioritize yield and speed over environmental considerations. In pharma, green chemistry means rethinking how products are synthesized, which solvents are used, and how reactions are scaled without compromising safety or quality.
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Why it matters in pharma today
The drive for sustainability and green chemistry is supported by several factors, ranging from regulatory compliance to cost and process efficiency. Agencies are embedding environmental risk into their frameworks. For instance, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) introduced a mandatory environmental risk assessment (ERA) for new marketing authorization applications for human use.4
The REACH regulation (registration, evaluation, authorization, and restriction of chemicals) restricts the use of hazardous chemicals to protect human health and the environment, and both the EMA and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) promote sustainable manufacturing.
In response, green chemistry often leads to simpler, more efficient synthetic routes. Techniques like continuous flow chemistry and biocatalysis reduce energy use, solvent waste, and purification steps, leading to lower operational costs.
Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) criteria are influencing investment decisions. Companies embracing sustainability are well-positioned to attract capital, meet stakeholder expectations, and enhance their market reputation.
Some pharmaceutical firms are also implementing broader green practices like sustainable sourcing, eco-friendly packaging, and extended producer responsibility (EPR).
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