Sustainability for Drug Delivery Devices:
Key Findings and Industry Recommendations

In July 2024, BioPhorum released an insightful report titled Sustainability for Drug Delivery Devices: Recommendations for Industry Along the Value Chain. This timely document addresses the growing need for sustainability in the production and lifecycle management of drug-delivery devices, such as inhalers, pens, and autoinjectors. As global health demands increase, so too does the environmental impact of these devices, making it crucial for the industry to implement greener practices like medical waste recycling instead of common biohazard waste disposal. Below is a summary of the key insights and recommendations from this essential report.

Why Sustainability Matters for Drug Delivery Devices

Drug delivery devices are integral to healthcare, but they come at a cost to the environment. The drug delivery device market is projected to grow from $42.71 billion in 2023 to $96.34 billion by 2032, and autoinjectors alone are expected to hit $233.69 billion by 2030. Therefore, the need for sustainable solutions to medical waste treatment has never been more urgent.

This report outlines the environmental challenges presented by this market growth, with key focus areas including carbon emissions, waste generation, and resource depletion across the entire device lifecycle, areas where regulated medical waste treatment companies can play a pivotal role.

The Lifecycle of a Drug Delivery Device

The report breaks down the lifecycle of drug delivery devices into three phases, each offering unique opportunities to reduce environmental impact:

1. Beginning of Life (Design, Procurement, and Manufacturing)

• The largest sustainability opportunities lie in the design and manufacturing stages. By optimizing material selection and embedding principles of circularity, companies can significantly reduce carbon footprints and resource use.
• For example, using fewer, more sustainable materials and designing devices for reuse or recycling, akin to approaches in biohazardous waste recycling, can lead to major reductions in waste.

2. Middle of Life (Distribution and Use)

• During this phase, companies can optimize packaging, reduce energy consumption in transportation, and consider more sustainable storage solutions.
• Sustainable packaging options and reducing refrigerated transport could help minimize waste and emissions in clinical waste collection methods that streamline waste handling processes.

3. End of Life (Disposal and Waste Management)

• The report highlights the need for robust medical waste treatment programs to prevent devices from ending up in landfills. Focused on disassembly, reuse, and recycling, simplifying material complexity can also facilitate easier disposal.
• Implementing standardized take-back schemes can help recycle components at the end of a device’s life, reducing its overall environmental impact in line with biohazardous waste treatment companies.

Challenges to Overcome

The report acknowledges several challenges facing the industry:

• Lack of Standardization: There is no universal method for measuring or comparing the environmental impact of different drug delivery devices, making it harder to drive change.
• Cost Barriers: Implementing sustainable solutions on an individual company level can be expensive. However, the report stresses the need for industry-wide collaboration to scale these solutions effectively.
• Knowledge Gaps: Not all stakeholders in the value chain have equal access to information on sustainable options, limiting progress.

Industry Recommendations

The BioPhorum report offers several recommendations to overcome these challenges and drive meaningful change:

• Develop Industry-Wide Lifecycle Assessments (LCAs): Standardizing LCAs will allow companies to measure the environmental impact of their devices more effectively, aiding in decision-making.
• Collaborate Across the Value Chain: Companies, regulators, and suppliers need to work together to prioritize eco-design principles, minimize waste, and promote medical waste recycling.
• Increase Transparency and Data Sharing: Sharing data on environmental impact, waste management, and user behaviour will help drive evidence-based sustainability initiatives.

The Path Forward

This report is a call to action for the med-tech, pharma, and healthcare industries to adopt sustainable practices across the entire lifecycle of drug delivery devices. From design and manufacturing to distribution and biohazard waste disposal, every stage presents opportunities to reduce environmental harm and promote circularity.

By adopting the report’s recommendations, the industry can significantly reduce its carbon footprint, supported by regulated medical waste treatment companies, and contribute to a healthier planet.