Waste and packaging

Management of the material topic (GRI 3-3)

For Galenica, the proper handling of medical and chemical waste as well as packaging material is crucial. The company focuses on waste management, i.e. the declaration (toxic/non-toxic), collection, sorting, disposal and recycling of waste, the selection of materials for packaging and adherence to circular economy principles. These measures are key to protecting the environment, animals and humans.

Galenica strives to reduce and, where possible, prevent waste. The company has set itself the target of reducing municipal waste (mainly packaging materials) by 50% by 2025. In addition to conventional municipal waste, medical and chemical waste is also produced. In Switzerland, expired or surplus medication is classified as hazardous waste and may not be disposed of with conventional industrial waste. Waste can be disposed of in different ways, depending on the type of waste. Waste incineration generates harmful greenhouse gas emissions, but in Switzerland some of the heat generated is also used for district heating or for electricity production. Hazardous waste entails both disposal costs and environmental and health risks. The recycling of waste products and raw materials has positive effects on the environment, such as the avoidance of greenhouse gas emissions and the conservation of scarce natural resources. Almost half of waste is recycled at Galenica.

Proper disposal of returned medications

The pharmacies and logistics companies in the Galenica Group take back and properly dispose of expired or unused medications. In pharmacies, this is done in accordance with internal quality management processes. The pharmacist performs an initial disposal triage of the returned medication and sorts the products according to specific criteria. They focus particularly on critical ingredients (such as heavy metals, solvents, narcotics or highly active substances), but also on the special characteristics of the dosage form (such as gas pressure vessels). After this pre-selection process, the drugs are disposed of properly at a conventional incineration plant or in a specially designed high-temperature furnace. The disposal of controlled substances such as narcotics must be documented by pharmacists and reported to Swissmedic. The GDP guidelines, which Alloga, Unione, Pharmapool and Galexis have signed up to, also provide instructions on how to handle returns. The actual disposal of expired and unused medications is carried out by third parties, with the exception of Medifilm, which is the only company in the Galenica Group with an approval for hazardous waste disposal.

For safety reasons, medicines returned by consumers are disposed of without exception – even if they have not yet expired and/or the packaging is still intact. Controlled disposal prevents people or animals from coming into contact with potentially hazardous pharmaceutical waste, such as in torn rubbish bags at the roadside or in the form of contamination. Pharmacies therefore make a valuable contribution to the environmentally friendly and controlled disposal of hazardous waste. In addition, all Galenica Group pharmacies provide only biodegradable plastic bags to their customers. The Service Unit Wholesale & Logistics is continuously investigating additional ways of reducing waste. The use of recycled packaging is an effective measure; currently, 94% of deliveries are already made in reusable, recycled storage containers. The remaining 6% is delivered in recyclable cardboard packaging.

Optimisation of packaging

In addition to the professional disposal of waste, Galenica aims to prevent waste from occurring in the first place wherever possible. For example, Galexis endeavours to increase the filling level of the preparation boxes so that fewer boxes are dispatched and offers the option of consolidated deliveries for non-urgent orders. In addition to the existing initiatives, as part of the Efficiency Initiative, the company has planned to eliminate the dispatch of a printed delivery note and provide customers with only a digitally accessible version. The switch from cardboard packaging to recycled packaging was also implemented at Galexis in 2023 with the first key supplier. Further relevant suppliers will undergo the transition in 2024 in order to reduce the volume of cardboard pack

Environmental Code of Conduct

The Environmental Code of Conduct contains guidelines on waste separation for all employees who work in the office. In addition, new employees receive a leaflet on waste management and recycling when they join the Group.

Objective waste and packaging

↗  Realistic
→ Partially delayed/critical
↘  Critical
=  Achieved
×  Not achieved

Evaluation of the management approach and measures

• Key figures: Key environmental figures relating to Group waste are collected at least once a year to check whether the environmental targets are being achieved.
• Quality management: Compliance with quality management processes is monitored on an ongoing basis.

Waste generated and directed to disposal (GRI 306-3, 306-5)

Since 2022, data from Lifestage Solutions, Spagyros and Galenica headquarters have been included in the calculation. With the inclusion of Verfora data, all companies of the Galenica Group are included from 2023.

Almost half of waste is recycled

In 2023, the total weight of waste for the Galenica Group was 3,653 tonnes, an increase of 13%. The weight of waste per full-time equivalent has increased by 5% compared to 2022. 86% of total waste was harmless (largely general waste, cardboard, paper and plastics), with the remaining 14% classified as hazardous waste (mainly medicines). 41% of waste was recycled, 45% was incinerated and 14% destroyed at a specialist facility for hazardous waste.