How Eco-Design Makes for a Healthier and More Sustainable World

We’re rethinking, redesigning, and reducing our products’ environmental footprint at every stage of a product’s lifecycle.

Through a science-based, EU-commissioned Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) method² we assess and identify opportunities to reduce environmental impact of our products— from raw materials extraction, manufacturing, all the way to distribution, patient use and product end-of-life treatment. To make this environmental process scalable and effective, we developed EDDi, our 14040 & 14044 ISO-compliant Eco-design Digital intelligence tool to allows us to design sustainable innovative medicines.

Eco-design is a cornerstone of our sustainability strategy and movement is already well underway. We’ve already started seeing the results of Eco-design applications in some of our top-selling products:  

• For one of our top-selling medications*, currently used by over one million patients worldwide,optimizing the active ingredient manufacturing process with our partner Regeneron has cut its carbon footprint by 53%, reduced water use by 62%, and minimized resource depletion by 30%.
• We've also seen significant environmental improvements in one of our flagship insulins*: we’ve cut its carbon footprint by 27%, reduced water use by 11%, and minimized resource depletion by 18%, thanks to improvements in manufacturing, packaging, and device production.
• And last but not least, by optimizing the production and packaging of our best-in-class hexavalent vaccine*, we’ve reduced its environmental footprint to cut carbon footprint by 17%, reduce water use by 19%, and minimize resource depletion by 6%. 

These early successes show that environmental progress and patient health go hand in hand. With Eco-design as a driving force, we’re just getting started on reimagining the way we create, deliver, and improve medicines for millions of patients worldwide.