tri as a tool to measure green chemistry progress: a
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TRI as a Tool to Measure Green Chemistry Progress A pharmaceutical case study
Cheryl Keenan Abt Associates
Abt Associates | pg 2
Overview
Many examples highlighting green chemistry successes
Can EPA’s Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) be used as a tool to measure progress?
More broadly, can TRI be used as a tool to evaluate progress toward sustainability goals?
Abt Associates | pg 3
Green Chemistry in Pharmaceuticals
Many examples of such in the literature – Pfizer identified a greener synthesis of sildenafil citrate
(ViagraTM)
– Merck and Codexis developed a green synthesis of sitagliptin, the active ingredient in Januvia™, a treatment for type 2 diabetes.*
– Pfizer developed a sustainable biocatalytic process for making Pregabalin, the active ingredient in Lyrica®, which is used to treat neuropathic pain.*
*Received EPA’s Presidential Green Chemistry award
Abt Associates | pg 4
Quantifying the Impacts
Articles did not consistently quantify the environmental impacts of green chemistry initiative
If these advances are occurring on a wide-scale across the sector, we should be able to see these advances in the Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data
– Do we?
Abt Associates | pg 5
Approach
Examined trends in TRI releases by the pharmaceuticals sector.
Examined likely drivers for the trends observed:
– Economic trends
– Outsourcing
– Regulations
– Shifts to other waste management practices
– Influence of large firms
Conclusion by exclusion
Abt Associates | pg 6
Pharmaceutical sector’s TRI releases have declined dramatically Releases
have declined by 67% since 2002
-
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Mill
ions
of P
ound
s
TRI Releases by the Pharmaceutical Industry
-67%
But, is it due to green chemistry?
– Investigate other potential causes
Abt Associates | pg 7
Did wastes just shift from releases to other waste management? Similar trend in
quantity of waste managed indicates real reductions
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
-
5
10
15
20
25
Mill
ions
of P
ound
s (W
aste
Man
aged
)
Mill
ions
of P
ound
s (Re
leas
es)
TRI Reporting by Pharmaceutical Facilities
Total Releases* Waste Managed**
Releases
Waste Managed
-67%
-63%
Abt Associates | pg 8
Does the trend reflect general improvements seen across sectors? The decline in
releases for the pharmaceuticals industry is much greater than for the rest of manufacturing
0
500
1,000
1,500
2,000
2,500
-
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Mill
ions
of P
ound
s (M
anuf
actu
ring)
Mill
ions
of P
ound
s (Ph
arm
aceu
tical
s)
Releases of TRI Chemicals
-29%
-67%
Manufacturing Industry
Pharmaceutical Industry
Abt Associates | pg 9
Are reductions due to economic trends? Normalizing
releases to annual value-added has little impact on the trend
-
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Mill
ions
of P
ound
s (Ph
arm
a)
TRI Releases - Reported & Normalized
Pharmaceutical Industry - Absolute Value Pharmaceutical Industry - Normalized
-67%
Pharmaceutical Industry
Abt Associates | pg 10
Are the chemicals driving the trend associated with green chemistry?
Solvents driving the declining trends: Methanol Dichloromethane Toluene Dimethylformamide Acetonitrile
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Mill
ions
of P
ound
s
Waste Managed for Key Solvents
Waste Managed, Key Solvents Waste Managed, All Other Chemicals
5 solvents
All other chemicals
Abt Associates | pg 11
Are reductions a result of outsourcing? Facilities that
reported over the whole 10-year period reduced releases as much as the entire sector
-
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Mill
ions
of P
ound
s
TRI Releases by Continuous Reporters
-67%
-61%
All Pharmaceutical Facilities
Facilities Reporting All Years
Abt Associates | pg 12
-67%
-73%
-61%
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011
Mill
ions
of P
ound
s TRI Releases of Top 3 Pharmaceutical Companies
Pharmaceutical Industry Top 3 Companies All other Pharmaceutical Facilities
Are reductions sector-wide or driven by a few companies? Reductions are
sector-wide
All Pharma Reporters
Top 3 Companies
Abt Associates | pg 13
Pollution Prevention in TRI Pharmaceutical facilities report more process
modifications than the rest of manufacturing
Abt Associates | pg 14
Wrap up
Can TRI data be used to quantify environmental progress?
– The results of our analyses indicate that the implementation of green chemistry by the pharmaceutical industry is reflected in the TRI data
– The results more broadly suggest a potential for the use of TRI data as a tool to track sustainability progress
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