Environmental sustainability information pack
The British Pharmacopoeia (BP) Secretariat is pleased to announce the release of an updated Environmental Sustainability Information Pack, furthering our commitment to encourage and support more sustainable practices within the pharmaceutical industry. This revised pack builds upon our initial efforts, offering an enriched collection of key resources, actionable insights, and illustrative case studies. It is designed to assist laboratories in identifying and implementing changes to their practices and quality control testing methods, thereby reducing their environmental footprint.
Highlights from the Environmental Sustainability Information Pack:
The pack is structured into an introductory chapter and three main chapters:
Chapter 1: Introduction
This section contains the rationale for the pack’s creation, reasons to act on sustainability, disclaimers, and other additional information regarding the pack itself.
Chapter 2: Laboratory facilities and management
This section delves into practical measures for managing laboratory facilities more sustainably. Key areas include:
- Collaboration, culture, and advocacy: Emphasising the importance of collective effort and fostering a culture of sustainability.
- Reducing energy consumption: Providing strategies for minimising energy use, with a focus on high-consumption equipment like fume hoods and ULT freezers.
- Water usage: Addressing significant water consumption areas, such as single-pass cooling systems.
- Waste: Outlining the "reduce, reuse, recycle" hierarchy to minimise laboratory waste, noting that laboratories are estimated to be responsible for approximately 2% of global plastic waste.
- Procurement : Highlighting the significance of making greener purchasing decisions to reduce Scope 3 emissions.
Chapter 3: Testing methods and solvents
This section offers specific information regarding quality control testing methods and the selection and use of solvents. Key areas include:
- Regulatory guidelines: Clarifying the BP and European Pharmacopoeia's positions on the use of alternative analytical procedures.
- Research design: Suggesting ways to improve the design of testing methods to lower energy, water, and consumables consumption.
- Testing methods: Providing examples of adjustments to testing methods, such as scaling column dimensions in HPLC.
- Solvents: Emphasising the importance of considering the solvents used, not only for their carbon footprint and human health impacts but also their potential for environmental pollution.
Chapter 4: Monitoring and measuring ‘greenness’
This section summarises key resources and current initiatives for measuring the environmental impact of both laboratories and testing methods.
It introduces tools including the Analytical Method Greenness Score (AMGS) calculator and the Analytical GREEnness calculator (AGREE). Case studies illustrate how these tools are being used to optimise methods, with one example showing an AMGS score improvement of approximately 90% by switching from an acetonitrile-based HPLC method to an SFC method.
This comprehensive information pack is the result of a collaborative effort, drawing valuable suggestions and real-world examples from a multitude of reputable sources and dedicated BP users. We extend our sincere gratitude to all individuals and organisations who have contributed their expertise and supported the evolution of this vital resource.
The environmental sustainability information pack remains free to download and will support users to make sustainability changes whilst maintaining the quality of medicines produced and compliance with the BP.
We encourage all stakeholders to share their feedback, contributions, and case studies for future iterations of this document by emailing BPsustainability@mhra.gov.uk. Your active participation is invaluable as we collectively strive for a more sustainable future.
To register and download your copy of the updated environmental sustainability information pack, please see use the link below.
Download the environmental sustainability information pack now