University of Coimbra, ADAI, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Coimbra, Portugal; Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Pará - IFPA, Conceição do Araguaia, Brazil.
University of Coimbra, ADAI, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Coimbra, Portugal.
Sci Total Environ. 2022 Apr 10;816:151565. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151565. Epub 2021 Nov 8.
Packaging ecodesign can contribute to improve the environmental performance of pharmaceutical products. The main goal of this article is to present an ecodesign approach based on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for pharmaceutical packaging, assessing opportunities to improve the packaging environmental performance, and providing ecodesign recommendations to the pharmaceutical sector. The proposed ecodesign approach consists of five phases. I) The most representative packaging of medicines in the market (blister, bottle, and sachet), with different sizes, materials and weights, were investigated. II) Three ecodesign strategies were selected to analyze with LCA: i) weight and/or volume reduction, ii) alternative types of packaging, and iii) transportation with less environmental impact. III-IV) A cradle-to-gate life cycle model has been implemented, including transport to pharmacies. Alternative transportation modes (truck, train, airplane, and ship) and different packaging production locations have been considered. Thirteen environmental categories have been analyzed. V) Ecodesign recommendations for improving the environmental performance of pharmaceutical packaging are presented in two stages: i) specific recommendations based on LCA, illustrated in sheets with examples of ecodesign, quantifying the environmental impact reduction of an ecodesign solution compared to the original; and ii) generic recommendations for different packaging life cycle phases. Ecodesign recommendations highlight the use of smaller-size packaging, avoiding superfluous elements and empty spaces, which reduces material and production costs, and transportation impacts; the selection of modes of transportation with less environmental impact, considering the packaging production location; and the use of electric vehicles for pharmacy distribution. This ecodesign approach based on LCA allows quantifying environmental impacts robustly to support the incorporation of environmental information from the design, material selection, and packaging production to distribution till the final consumer. This article emphasizes the importance of developing specific packaging ecodesign based on LCA to improve environmental performance and provide more informed recommendations to stakeholders.
包装生态设计有助于提高药品的环境性能。本文的主要目的是提出一种基于生命周期评价（LCA）的制药包装生态设计方法，评估改善包装环境性能的机会，并为制药行业提供生态设计建议。所提出的生态设计方法由五个阶段组成。I）研究了市场上最具代表性的药品包装（泡罩、瓶和小袋），它们具有不同的尺寸、材料和重量。II）选择了三种生态设计策略用 LCA 进行分析：i）减轻重量和/或体积，ii）替代包装类型，iii）采用环境影响较小的运输方式。III-IV）实施了从摇篮到大门的生命周期模型，包括运输到药店。考虑了替代运输方式（卡车、火车、飞机和轮船）和不同的包装生产地点。分析了十三个环境类别。V）提出了改善药品包装环境性能的生态设计建议，分为两个阶段：i）基于 LCA 的具体建议，用示例说明生态设计，量化生态设计解决方案与原始方案相比减少的环境影响；ii）针对不同包装生命周期阶段的通用建议。生态设计建议强调使用较小尺寸的包装，避免多余的元素和空间，从而降低材料和生产成本以及运输影响；选择环境影响较小的运输方式，考虑包装生产地点；并在药房配送中使用电动汽车。这种基于 LCA 的生态设计方法可以稳健地量化环境影响，以支持将环境信息从设计、材料选择和包装生产纳入到分销直到最终消费者的过程中。本文强调了基于 LCA 开发特定包装生态设计以提高环境性能并为利益相关者提供更明智建议的重要性。
