TRI as a Tool to Measure Green Chemistry Progress: A ...

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?


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


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?


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


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


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%


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


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


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


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


-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


Pollution Prevention in TRI Pharmaceutical facilities report more process

modifications than the rest of manufacturing


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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