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Abbott Expands Use Of Sustainable Packaging As Part Of Global Environmental Efforts

September 18, 2009

Abbott today reported more remote progress in encounter its goal of a 5 percent reduction in the amount of packaging used in its key products by 2013, part of a multi-faceted effort to minimize its impact on the environment. To bring to pass this bound, the society has launched, or is in the projection of launching, greater amount of than 40 sustainable packaging initiatives across its nutrition, pharmaceutical and medical products businesses. The initiatives are driven by new standards and guidelines developed by Abbott that animate increased use of lighter and sustainable materials in package delineate.

“Abbott’s sustainable packaging initiatives enjoin reduce our environmental footprint through not so much waste in landfills, to a greater degree responsible grove management and fewer emissions. At the similar time, it lowers cost, and, in some cases, reduces shelf space for our customers,” said John Landgraf, senior vice president, Pharmaceuticals, Manufacturing and Supply, Abbott. “Throughout the earth, consumers increasingly expect the companies they do avocation with to be environmentally responsible citizens and Abbott is rising to that challenge.”

Abbott partners with a number of industry and unconventional groups in the area of sustainable packaging, such as the Sustainable Packaging Coalition. Abbott moreover is working by suppliers who have achieved or are pursuing certification, with respected sustainability organizations, such as the Program for the Endorsement of Forest Certification, the Forest Stewardship Council and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative. In addition, Abbott recently announced sponsorship of the newly created Michigan State University’s Center for Packaging Innovation and Sustainability, which provides a tribunal to build a bridge over academic investigation through Abbott’sitting real-world application expertise.

“Abbott has been actively moving to benchmark and measure make progress in making its packaging more sustainable,” said Anne Johnson, director, Sustainable Packaging Coalition, a project of GreenBlue, a nonprofit sustainability literary that works with the private sector to enable the positive redesign of industrial systems. “Given the momentous challenges of packaging for health care products, it is impressive to see that they have place systems in place in recent years that have resulted in tangible results. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with them and other industry leaders to advance in successive packaging systems that promote household and environmental health.”

In etc., Abbott works with major retail customers, sharing information on packaging reductions the company has achieved in its consumer products. The company also screens its suppliers, holding them to stringent packaging requirements. In 2008, the company created an internal packaging propose to one’s self guideline writing to render less difficult improved sustainable packaging decisions throughout the design and development phase of packaging.

“Our sustainable packaging placing in charge is the latest example of Abbott’session legacy of doing its part to safeguard the environment,” explained Donald Patton, Jr., senior vice president, U.S. Nutrition, Abbott. “Across the company, Abbott is transitioning to packaging that performs its essential functions while using less stuff and more environmentally-friendly components.”

Abbott is working toward delivery on this commitment through a variety of strategies, including embracing the four R’s (cut short, recycle, renew and re-use). Since 2007, Abbott has eliminated each estimated 2.88 very great number pounds of packaging on an annualized basis through reduction initiatives attached a few select products, the equivalent of preventing 15,000 pounds of polystyrene foam from going into landfills. In addition, Abbott reduced the amount of plastic used in infant formula containers by 15 percent in 2008. Some of Abbott’s major sustainable packaging initiatives include:

- Abbott Nutrition reduced the amount of plastic in its eight ounce re-closable bottles by 8.3 percent. Through better design, the company cut polypropylene plastic usage through 2.7 the multitude pounds annually. The reduced-weight bottles also will forbear save 436,000 gallons of gasoline used for transportation per year.

- Abbott recently implemented a pilot program for shipments of more physician samples that prescribe cooling. During the pilot, Abbott is exploring ways to have effect this environmentally-friendly alternative deserving comparison in require to be paid to current packaging. The reusable box - which replaces a larger, single-use box - is smaller, made of reusable, recyclable and 100 percent organic-based materials, and can subsist used greater amount of than 100 general condition of affairs.

These are just a coupling of examples of the more than 40 sustainable packaging projects even now introduced or in the process of being launched across Abbott’sitting health care businesses. The company’s sustainable packaging team continues to attain to new ways to reduce Abbott’s environmental footprint from one side innovative design and the application of the latest packaging technology.

Safeguarding the environment is an important part of Abbott’sitting mission to improve people’s health and the company’sitting efforts to be a commander in global citizenship. In addition to expanded application of sustainable packaging, Abbott has identified reductions in conservatory gas emissions, water conservation and increased exercise of cleaner and renewable energy as environmental priorities. The company has set measurable goals in one and the other of these areas to track its progress. All of Abbott’s various soundness care businesses are examining their manufacturing processes and necessarily, as well as their result packaging, to make known environmentally friendly and sustainable approaches to help the company meet or exceed these goals.

Abbott was recently named to the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and Sustainability North America Index for the fifth consecutive year, and was one of just two U.S.-based pharmaceutical companies listed on the couple exponents. The Dow Jones Sustainability World Index ranks Abbott among the top 300 of the universe’sitting largest 2,500 companies, based put on an assessment of economic, familiar and environmental performance.

Source
Abbott Laboratories

Written by Samanta · Filed Under Pharmacy Industry News