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Sustainability – Green Chemistry
Product Stewardship Through the Lifecycle: Green Chemistry and Technology Yield Business and Environmental Benefits
At Janssen, our purpose is to help people lead healthier, happier lives. To create a healthier future, we see an opportunity to create impact by connecting sustainability to our core business. Each of our products has an environmental footprint based on a number of factors, including energy, materials and water used in production, as well as the waste generated. Our top scientists apply innovation to create new efficiencies and design processes. Though this may initially require substantial capital and time investments, in the long term, it allows us to more effectively manage our environmental impact at every stage of the product lifecycle—from sourcing and formulation, to manufacturing, use and disposal. Using Johnson & Johnson’s Earthwards® approach and investing in green chemistry and technology, we strive to reach our enterprise-wide commitment to design and manufacture medicines in the most sustainable way we can.
| Opportunity | Strategy |
|---|
- Situation: There are opportunities that exist throughout a product’s lifecycle to create environmental, social and business benefits
- Imperative: Leverage the 12 principles of green chemistry and the 12 principles of green engineering to improve process and product sustainability
- Goal: Invest to improve efficiency, reduce waste and materials, conserve energy and water, and enhance social benefits
| - Drive continuous innovation through application of green chemistry and technology
- Deploy Earthwards® to engage product teams, address existing challenges and ensure medicines meet stewardship guidelines
- Environmental improvements in 10 Janssen products to be Earthwards®-recognized by 2015
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| Results | Recognition |
|---|
- As of 2013, seven different Janssen products have been recognized by Earthwards®
- Cold chain packaging for one Janssen product was replaced with GREENBOXTM, a reusable shipping system that reduced packaging weight by 50 percent and eliminates 99,000 cubic feet of Styrofoam from landfills
- Raw materials for another product group were reduced by 64 percent, water use by 78 percent and hazardous waste by 87 percent
| - Online journal Environmental Leader named Earthwards® “Project of the Year” in 2013
- A Janssen product was given the first Earthwards® award for a small molecule active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) and the Johnson & Johnson Worldwide Environmental Health Safety & Sustainability Award
- The Green Chemistry program was featured in the Financial Times and the Flemish newspaper De Standaard
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The Sustainability Factor
We understand that human health links intimately to a healthy environment. It makes sense that a company that invests so much in research to improve human health would embrace sustainability in its business. Janssen and Johnson & Johnson start with a global approach to developing more sustainable products and processes. From there, we also focus on sustainable health solutions and therapies, which extend beyond the drug itself. Our aim is to create more sustainable medicines, a more sustainable business and a more sustainable healthcare system.
Julius Caesar Bustamante, Pajaros
