Working for
a Sustainable Future
At Pfizer, we recognize that embedding environmental sustainability into our business can bring significant value to our company, the people who use our products and the communities we touch.
Building on the successful achievements of our carbon emission reduction and green chemistry programs, we are working to contribute meaningfully to global efforts to reduce human impact on the environment. Throughout the lifecycle of our products, our aspiration is to further:
- reduce our carbon footprint and increase energy efficiency
- decrease dependence on limited resources
- reduce waste
2020 Environmental Sustainability Goals*
*Applies to facilities within Pfizer's operational control as compared with a 2012 baseline.
In 2015, we plan to announce additional targets with the potential to drive meaningful environmental improvements across our supply chain.
Our recently revised Climate Change Position Statement can be found here.
Pfizer Cares — Our Green Journey
Pfizer's environmental stewardship and green journey
are guided by a sustainability program with four key components we strive
to implement: optimizing processes to reduce our environmental footprint across our three goal areas; responding to our
customers with innovative, sustainable packaging designs and materials; expanding sustainability efforts across our manufacturing supply
chain; and increasing our understanding of our impact on the environment.
Our environmental sustainability program complements our focus on developing new therapies and delivering value. We understand that earning society's trust is essential to our company — that to continue to develop medicines that make people's lives better we must fulfill our stakeholder commitments, be accountable for conducting business responsibly, and create and sustain deep connections with all those who are touched by our work.
For a comprehensive view of our contributions to a sustainable future, see here.
Eco Restoration Transforming Acquired Site for the Community
Pfizer, working in concert with the local community, is restoring for beneficial use a contaminated site in North Haven, Connecticut, that came to Pfizer as part of the Pharmacia acquisition. The site has not been in use since 1993, when all manufacturing ceased and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began investigating the property for environmental damage caused by various chemical plants prior to Pfizer's ownership.
The restoration includes 60 acres, 17 of which are for economic development. The east side of the site is largely for public use as an ecological preserve. An open space and ecological habitat will be created on the banks of the Quinnipiac River, and an interpretative trail will be built to allow school and community groups to study the ecosystem.
At an event to commemorate the project, Senator Richard Blumenthal praised Pfizer and the town of North Haven for their perseverance
on this issue and called it a teachable moment for the entire country.
Deborah Szaro, Deputy Regional Administrator, U.S. EPA Region 1,
said: There are few good neighbors left but Pfizer is one of them. The company put up $152 million to invest in a site they acquired but
didn't contaminate.
Managing Environmental Risk
EHS professionals at Pfizer support line management in the identification, management and mitigation of environment, health and safety risks and liabilities. Oversight of environmental compliance is governed by our Environment, Health and Safety Steering Team.
Product Stewardship
Environmental responsibility embraces the full product lifecycle. To be a true product steward, we seek to understand and effectively manage the health, safety and environmental risks during the discovery, development, manufacture, use and disposal of our products. This includes efforts to assess and address the issues associated with pharmaceuticals in the environment, encourage the proper disposal of unwanted medicines, and ensure public safety through education and awareness of sharps handling and disposal.
For more information on product stewardship, please see here.
Pharmaceuticals in the Environment
We are committed to minimizing potential impacts on human health and the environment from the manufacture, use and disposal of our medicines. Pfizer works directly and in partnership with other member companies on trade associations such as PhRMA and EFPIA to ensure relevant science is understood and, where necessary, further advanced to help mitigate such risks.
We encourage proper disposal of unwanted medicines. Actions to reduce improper disposal of expired or unwanted prescription and non-prescription medicines lessens the potential for diversion, reduces the potential for improper use of medication, and helps protect our water. Although studies have indicated that only a small portion of medicines enter the environment through waste disposal, it is important to consider environmental impacts from all sources. Through education and awareness programs, Pfizer works with stakeholders to better understand the potential impacts associated with the improper disposal of unwanted medicines.
The Pfizer Responsible Disposal Advisor website debuted two years ago, and has seen encouraging usage by institutions and health care professionals. This online resource contains recommended disposal practices in the United States for all Pfizer products.
Lifecycle Assessment Confirms Reduced Impact of Smaller Tablet in Blister Pack
With the help of Quantis, globally recognized experts in lifecycle assessment consulting, we completed a full lifecycle assessment of Pfizer's current version of Atorvastatin, also known as Lipitor.® The lifecycle assessment evaluated potential ecosystem quality impact, climate change impact, resource consumption and water usage of two tablet sizes.
Our lifecycle assessment of the smaller tablet in blister packs (available in many markets) identified the following carbon footprint reductions when compared to our larger tablet:*
- Less materials required (42% reduction in non-active pharmaceutical ingredient raw material footprint)
- Less to ship (36% reduction in delivery footprint)
- Less packaging required (11% reduction in packaging material footprint)
In addition, we evaluated our latest manufacturing process improvements, which incorporate the principles of green chemistry,
against
our original manufacturing process. Our latest innovative manufacturing process uses enzymes (bio-catalysts), water as a solvent and room
temperature reactions. These changes reduced the carbon footprint of the raw materials used in our current Atorvastatin active pharmaceutical
ingredient (API) manufacturing process by half when compared to our original manufacturing process.
Through the implementation of improved chemistry, introducing a smaller tablet, and reducing packaging, Pfizer has been able to reduce this product's carbon footprint and other environmental indicators as compared to when we first began making the product.
*The API footprint is the same for both tablet sizes; these reductions are specific to the other aspects of the smaller tablet.
excluding non-contact cooling
water in 2014 was 9%
lower than in 2013.
non-hazardous waste disposed in 2014
was unchanged from 2013.
