Three ways SkyCell improves sustainability in pharma supply chains

Sustainable development goals are vital to any company or industry, and most importantly, to the health of the planet. When it comes to pharmaceuticals, an industry that can be more emission intensive than the automotive industry, committing to such goals is imperative to all parts of the pharma supply chain. With one-way packaging solutions being discarded in landfills after use, taking action to reduce waste and build a sustainable end-to-end pharma supply chain is crucial.

At SkyCell, sustainability is part of our DNA. We have been incorporating sustainable solutions since  2012 to tackle these issues and work with our partners to create a sustainable pharma supply chain that benefits everyone. SkyCell’s sustainability team consults with clients on calculating CO₂ emissions and ensures that, as a company, we are delivering results in line with international standards. From developing a new temperature-controlled container that helps clients mitigate CO₂ emissions to supporting other sustainable partners and committing to the Paris Agreement, we believe sustainability and adhering to ambitious environmental targets to be at the forefront of the pharma agenda.

Find out more about how SkyCell is solving sustainability issues in pharma supply chains below:

Pharma Logistics IQ Special Report: Combatting Counterfeit Activity in the Pharma industry

Discover the key vulnerabilities to counterfeit activity in the supply chain and solutions to improve operational flexibility, build long-term resilience and cut supply chain costs. Download the Report.

Learn More

1. Forming partnerships with green advocates

   Building a sustainable future requires teamwork and collaboration. To achieve this, b relationships will need to be developed across all industries. At SkyCell, we have been supporting those who have equal or similar green goals in mind.

   One example is Airborn Fuels, a Switzerland-based company that is aiming for 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel by 2050, by producing it out of CO₂ and renewable energy. To reach our own targets of climate-neutrality, we will reduce our Scope 3 emissions, meaning emissions related to third parties, to zero too. However, as SkyCell and other partners in the pharma industry use airplanes and additional modes of transport to deliver containers and medicines, we are committed to finding and supporting other solutions to fossil-based aviation fuel. Hence, we are supporting Airborn Fuels in their innovative endeavors to make sustainable aviation fuel a reality. Not only will this ensure a radical reduction in CO₂, but it will also fix a pertinent sustainability issue that affects the pharma supply chain.

2. Developing the hybrid container

   Our hybrid container is a key driver which moves our clients closer to their sustainability targets. There are four key factors that enable this.

   The first factor is the circular economy, an alternative to the linear take-make-dispose approach of one-way packaging solutions that are contributing to the landfill waste problem that we are seeing globally. The circular economy is a closed loop, meaning that resources within the production cycle are reused. We achieve this through the leasing of our hybrid containers. When a shipment is completed, the containers are sent back to us and preconditioned for their next journey. This prevents them from being thrown into landfills and gives our clients the peace of mind that, by using SkyCell, they are part of and contributing to a sustainable pharma supply chain.

   Secondly, when the containers cannot be used anymore, old pieces are reused in the construction of new containers. This further reduces resource depletion, meaning that we are not taking out more resources from the environment.

   Thirdly, they are constructed out of more than 90 percent of recyclable materials. For the parts that cannot be reused, they are recycled in an environmentally friendly way, thus closing the circular economy loop.

   Finally, our hybrid containers reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 50 per cent for every shipment. The reduced volumetric weight of the hybrid, combined with an optimal internal-external volume ratio packaging design, makes this possible as it reduces the number of airplanes needed to transport the goods due to more efficient packaging.

“The first step is to acknowledge the problem, and then you can move on to risk management and analysis”

With insight from sector experts, learn how to identify weak points in your pharma supply chain and how you can secure them. Download the Pharma Logistics IQ report.

Learn More

3. Joining the Science Based Targets initiative

   The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) is a collaboration between CDP, World Resources Institute (WRI), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). Science-based target setting is designed to boost companies’ competitive advantage as they transition to the low-carbon economy model. Science-based targets ensure companies, like us, formulate a clearly defined pathway that will future-proof their growth. This is done by specifying how much and how quickly they need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions across their business and industry.

   For SkyCell, the SBTi shows us how to reduce our emissions in line with the Paris Agreement and set climate change mitigation targets that align with 1.5°C scenarios. Joining the SBTi not only demonstrates our commitment to the Paris Agreement, but also displays our dedication to ensuring a sustainable pharma supply chain that brings medicine to all.

Do you want to know how our solutions can help to mitigate your CO₂ emissions and reduce waste?

In August 2021, we published our first annual sustainability report that covers our policies and actions on how we contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). Our commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals includes climate action, responsible consumption and production, reduced inequalities, and partnerships for the goals.