One of the big ways AbbVie is pursuing programs that benefit the environment is through the Spark Innovation Accelerator. This is a global initiative that enables employees from all countries to submit potential ideas that accelerate the impact on AbbVie’s environmental sustainability goals. To date, there have been 51 teams across 11 countries that have done projects over the past 4 years that have had positive impacts on the environment.
Waste Reduction at AbbVie
Waste Reduction Initiatives at AbbVie
Let’s take a look at some of the waste reduction initiatives at AbbVie and how they’re helping us reach our environmental goals! First, we’ll start with the Spark Innovation Accelerator!
Spark Innovation Accelerator
Zero-Waste-to-Landfill Spark Projects
These projects are ones that focused on reducing waste sent to landfill. Waste can be both solid and liquid!
Biologics Single-Use Recycling: Single-use plastics used in biologics manufacturing at Singapore are now being diverted to recycling sites as opposed to landfills!
Recycle For Life: Instead of sending used office furniture and lab equipment to landfill, some items are now being donated to local charities!
Go Green Sales: Printed sales materials are a large source of waste and by reviewing usages and order quantities, over 100 metric tons of waste has been reduced by ordering less material!
Water Related Spark Projects
These projects are ones that focused on water usage and finding ways to reduce usage at our sites!
Make Every Drop Count: Rainwater recycling program in Singapore to reduce freshwater usage in cooling systems at the site.
BioDiversity: By planting sustainable and native plants in North Chicago, the amount of water used for irrigation can be reduced!
Climate & Energy Spark Projects
These projects are ones that focused on reducing energy usage or implementing more sustainable solutions for the climate.
Reduce Carbon via Car Fleet: More electric car charging stations have been installed at sites, along with many car fleets being replaced with electric or hybrid vehicles.
Sun Powered Food: The Costa Rica site uses solar panels for energy but took it a step further to implement solar water heaters!
Project Cold Penguin: By using recycling water used in production processes,this reduces the amount of chilled wate needed for their wastewater treatment plant and saves some energy needed to generate chilled water!
Beyond the Spark Innovation accelerator, there are other waste reduction initiatives ongoing in the network. These can range from programs supporting waste reduction in manufacturing, office spaces, and more. Here, we’ll take a look at a couple technologies AbbVie is leveraging to further reduce waste!
Hazardous Waste
Before going into some of the technologies, let’s first better understand what hazardous waste is. Hazardous waste is a waste with properties that make it dangerous or capable of having a harmful effect on human health or the environment. This waste can range from being a solid, liquid, and gas, so it’s important the waste is well understood and controlled.
Examples of this type of waste can range from left over raw materials, solvent-contaminated water, solvent-contaminated gas emissions, solid byproducts, and more.
Fun Fact: The symbols or pictograms in the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS) are one of the ways to determine if a waste stream exhibits the characteristic(s) of a hazardous waste.
Explosives
Flammables
Oxidisers
Gases Under Pressure
Corrosives
Acute Toxicity
Irritants/Sensitisers/Other Hazards
Specific Toxicity Hazards
Environmental Hazard
Membrane Distillation
One way to process a wastewater stream is with membrane distillation. Membrane distillation leverages thermodynamics and a hydrophobic membrane to separate out a product from the feed. The product could be a variety of different types of solvents to water. It comes down to the design of the system.
By separating the water and product/contaminant(s), the wastewater can now be safely discharged, reducing waste volumes and cost! Additionally, since the product is being separated, this product can potentially be recovered and reused as well, further reducing waste and cost!
Waste Reduction Initiatives at AbbVie
Wastewater Treatment Plants (WTP) provide a way to decontaminate wastewater of residual solvent and other organic products, however, these wastewater streams are still required to be sent off for incineration due to their composition. This is where alternate wastewater treatment technologies come in!
One alternate method for treating contaminated wastewater is ultraviolet (UV) oxidation.
1. An oxidizing agent, such as Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2) is added to the contaminated wastewater.
2. The contaminated wastewater and oxidizer mixture is exposed to intense UV radiation.
3. The contaminated wastewater and oxidizer mixture react due to the UV radiation and cause the contaminant (organic solvents, residual API, etc.) to oxidize and breakdown. This breakdown continues until the wastewater is safe for discharge and does not need to be incinerated!
By avoiding the need to ship tons and tons of hazardous wastewater for incineration, sites are able to reduce waste volumes significantly and also the cost for waste destruction!
