For the pharmaceutical industry, outsourcing doesn’t only mean an increase in efficiency and compliance but a way to make operations environmentally more sustainable.
As companies are striving to find more environmentally friendly practices, their partners and supply chains have become an important part of the sustainability puzzle. According to the 2020 State of the Supply Chain Sustainability Report by MIT, almost 80 percent of companies believe that sustainability is or will become a part of the supply chain professionals’ core responsibilities.
For the pharmaceutical industry, building strong networks and supply chains is mainly driven by the need to focus on their core business and drive innovation. But outsourcing can be a step towards greener practices, too. A good example of this is the humble workwear.
Industrial scale washing saves energy and water
“One could think that the laundry is just laundry. But when it’s done at an industrial scale, the level of hygiene stays high while the usage of energy, water and detergents becomes lower,” explains Taru Jokinen, Director, Service Management at Lindström, a company providing cleanroom services and workwear for the pharmaceutical industry in Finland, India, China, and Russia. In addition to the previously mentioned countries, the pharmaceutical industry is in focus also in Turkey and Slovenia.
Especially in areas where water shortage is a significant threat, companies have been pushed to find water-conserving solutions. According to Manas Kumar, Strategic Marketing and Business Development Director at Lindström, all of the company’s customers in China and India have set targets to reduce their water consumption. In this, efficient laundry services play a big role.
“With our customers, we have reached up to 40% savings in water consumption. When you add this to replacing disposables with reusables, it makes a big difference environmentally.”
