In today's environmentally aware society, companies are expected to operate in an environmentally responsible manner and the pharmaceutical industry is no exception. The environmental impact of pharmaceutical companies is coming under scrutiny. Carbon footprints are usually measured by the amount of greenhouse gases produced, in units of carbon dioxide. Most large pharmaceutical organizations have annual objectives and targets related to reducing their carbon footprint and are typically achieved by inflicting targets on each site to reduce their impact on the environment. These targets to reduce carbon footprints are encouraging equipment suppliers to come up with 'greener solutions'.

Both existing and new facilities are investing heavily in containment solutions to protect operators when handling potent compounds. Isolator technology is now widely accepted as a necessity because new medicines are increasing in potency. However, with some careful forethought it is possible to reduce the environmental impact of the manufacture, operation and maintenance of this type of equipment. There have been many developments in the design and manufacture of containment solutions to lessen their impact on the environment.

Key points

Many organizations are now proactively seeking to run their business in an environmentally sustainable manner by subscribing to the ISO 14001 programme. It is not yet the norm for equipment manufacturers to reach this standard, but some do. Many smaller organizations that do not have formal accreditations have environmental policies in place, addressing issues such as car-sharing schemes and switching off computers, lights and heating when not in use. Some innovative equipment manufacturers are adopting green design philosophy to help the pharmaceutical industry to reduce its environmental impact.

For a site to achieve carbon emissions targets, all elements of that site must be considered. This will include assessing any new equipment for environmental impact. Equipment designs for laboratory and plant containment equipment, such as isolators, have adopted many 'green' elements in recent years. However, there is still a long way to go.

Green containment design

Green containment design philosophy has many facets, including process design, operating procedures, fabrication methods, materials and the design of equipment.

Looking at the actual process that needs containing, and not just supplying a requested item, often produces a more environmentally friendly user requirement specification (URS). By analysing the entire process there are often steps that can be completed in one isolator rather than multiple units. Multipurpose units reduce the negative impact that a pharmaceutical site may have on the environment by reducing the volume of isolators required, which reduces both the fabrication and running requirements.

There are isolators that are designed with flexibility in mind, with lift-up windows to allow laboratory-scale equipment to be placed within. Recent isolator design innovations have enabled complete processes to be housed within a single isolator, reducing both the utility requirement and the actual real estate needed to house the process equipment. For example, if a facility uses a variety of mills in its different processes, it is possible to design a single isolator and have each different mill mounted on an individual skid, which can be interchanged into the isolator when required. This greatly reduces the amount of isolators required reducing both the utilities required for production and the operation of a suite of isolators.

Ensuring cleaning systems are designed to efficiently clean, yet not waste cleaning product or water, is essential. By carefully positioning high-efficiency spray balls within the isolator chambers, less cleaning fluid is required. A triggered wash hose is an additional cleaning aid. This enables the targeted cleaning of dirty areas, rather than using vast amounts of cleaning fluids from the spray balls. This has associated utility and energy consumption savings.

Isolators typically require ancillary equipment, such as fans, filters and extraction systems, which all need to be specified to the optimum size rather than over specified 'just to be safe'. Using low-energy consumption motors and frequency inverters can considerably reduce the utility requirements for running isolators, which reduces the carbon footprint of the site.

Sustainable development

Forward-thinking manufacturers are recognizing the need for a more sustainable approach to containment design. Energy efficiency and environmental impact measurements are not yet mandatory. However, it is only a matter of time before these issues are covered by legislation. Currently, there is a European directive that affects manufactured products, such as electrical and electronic devices or heating equipment: the 2005/32/EC directive on the eco-design of energy-using products (EuPs), provides coherent EU-wide rules for eco-design. Although this does not currently extend to the manufacture of industrial and pharmaceutical equipment, there will be an increased awareness, eventually leading to actions and legislation to promote green design.