As a result of a pioneering initiative in the pharmaceutical sector, Eurofarma’s first products with the +Verde seal came to market in 2018. This seal identifies drugs with innovative actions capable of generating a positive impact throughout the chain and on the environment.
One of the advantages of products with the +Verde seal is the inner blister packaging, which presents a globally unprecedented methodology developed by Eurofarma and validated by Anvisa for domestic decontamination. The seal also attests to the use of 30% recycled material in the outer packaging (cartridge), as well as extra precautions observed in the production process, such as the economy of inputs and impact control, as well as final consumer awareness on proper disposal.
More than 49.5 million drugs bearing the seal have been marketed in Brazil since 2018 and, as a result, the project has already helped reduce 1.56 tons of carbon equivalent.
More susteinability in packaging as well
In addition to providing instructions for decontamination, products bearing the +Verde seal are packaged with 30% recycled paper. Approved by Anvisa, details of this decontamination methodology are included in this medication’s cartridges, as well as information on its correct disposal, already included in the entire Eurofarma line.
Learn about the innovative methodology
This innovative and groundbreaking methodology allows consumers to carry out, in a domestic environment, the decontamination of primary antibiotic and contraceptive packaging.
The methodologies developed are simple to perform, since they use materials easily found in domestic environments such as sodium hypochlorite, better known as bleach, and hydrogen peroxide, known as hydrogen water.
This methodology renders primary packaging that came into direct contact with the drug inert, minimizing the impact on the environment and is 100% recyclable. The measure will allow the reuse of premium materials such as aluminum, PVC and PVDC, which were previously destroyed. The study to develop the innovative process was conducted in partnership with Instituto Senai de Inovação.
For Maria del Pilar Muñoz, Eurofarma's Vice President of Sustainability and New Business, this step allows the company to foster greater awareness in society and offer a more sustainable alternative in post-consumer material disposal. “The goal is to allow patients to better dispose of waste that came into direct contact with the drug. We offer a simple and cheap alternative for home decontamination of blister packs. This allows the material to be discarded in recyclable waste and safely reused”, she says.
The initiative is in line with the proposal of Federal Law No. 12.305/2010, which is to establish shared responsibility actions for packaging disposal, mitigating impacts arising from the life cycle of products, and it goes even further. According to Pilar, it is anchored on the company’s objective of anticipating trends and meeting new society demands. “We are always looking for more sustainable and innovative solutions. This challenge is daily and permeates all of the organization’s areas. As the agents of change we want to be, we will increasingly engage customers, doctors and patients, and move forward with research for other products,” says the executive.
“This project’s biggest challenge was to develop a viable and simple execution method in which materials could become inert with products easily found in Brazilian homes,” explains Edesio Rocca, technology expert at Instituto Senai de Inovação.
More susteinability in packaging as well
In addition to providing instructions for decontamination, products bearing the +Verde seal are packaged with 30% recycled paper. Approved by Anvisa, details of this decontamination methodology are included in this medication’s cartridges, as well as information on its correct disposal, already included in the entire Eurofarma line.