EAG hosted the second annual ELPH™ awards on January 31st, 2019. EAGs commitment is to recognize individuals and organizations related, in any way to healthcare, who demonstrate leadership towards improving all aspects of environmental health and processes within their organization. Thank you to all those who worked hard to make the 2019 ELPH™ awards happen. Big thank you to the program committee, our host, Eli Lilly Canada, our speakers from industry and academia and, of course our sponsors, without whom this event could not have happened. Keep up your inspiring work!

Daniels Health: In the Measurable Reduction in Environmental Impact Category For Environmental Leadership Shown by a Team

Daniels entered the Canadian healthcare market in 2000 as the   clinical alternative for biomedical waste management   and disposal. With the second largest healthcare waste service   infrastructure in North America, and years of collective   experience and expertise in the clinical space, Daniels Health is the unrivalled expert in infection risk reduction sharps and waste solutions.

One of Daniels’ principle founding values is to achieve the   highest level of ecology possible through innovation, product, and   process. In their healthcare waste management practices, they utilize the most sustainable methodology of environmental   effectiveness – reusability. They market a product called “Pharmasmart” which is used primarily in hospitals. It is used to divert waste from nursing units and patient’s rooms.

Previously this waste stream was being placed into sharps containers and being incinerated. Instead, with Pharmasmart, only the waste within the containers is treated, the containers are cleaned, placed into circulation for reuse, and can be reused up to 500 times.

WN Pharmaceutical (Webber Naturals): Environmental Leadership Shown by a Corporation Team

WN Pharmaceuticals Ltd. is Canada’s leading manufacturer and distributor of vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products. Based in British Columbia, WN Pharmaceuticals develops, manufactures, and distributes its products to enhance the well being of customers across Canada and around the world. The following are some sustainability initiatives WN Pharmaceuticals has implemented:

WN Pharmaceuticals began measuring their GHG emissions in 2015, and devised a plan consisting of short, medium and long-term goals. Supported by an Executive Sustainability Committee, they formed a Sustainability Department in 2016 to drive these goals forward. From then until today, they have achieved a 14% reduction in GHGs compared to baseline.  Many WN Pharmaceuticals products are “soft gel caps”, which during the manufacturing process, leave a web of “waste”. WN Pharmaceuticals resells this webbing to non-food applications, and in 2016 alone, diverted 150 Mt of webbing and netted $50,000 in the process. WN Pharmaceuticals purchased industrial balers to deal with plastic wrap, which can be a difficult material to deal with. On average, 80 Mt of wrap are diverted each year and resold to commodity markets. Sustainability and family is a part of WN Pharmaceuticals core values. To track their sustainability initiatives to reduce emissions and support they community, the company has adopted tools to track their progress such as Energy Efficiency, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Staff Turnover, Training & Qualification, and Maturity of Workforce. Along with its sustainability efforts, WN Pharmaceuticals has employee engagement programs, such as lunch-hour discussions about memory & sleep, which encourage their staff to live the healthiest lives possible.

Bioscript Solutions: In the Eco-Philanthropy and Charitable Giving Category & Stewardship Categoary for Environmental Leadership Shown by a Team

The BioScript Solutions ® group of companies represent a full-service support system for complex drug therapies. From wholesale and pharmacy distribution, to patient support programs and drug administration, BioScript Solutions ® has the capability to manage the needs of patients, prescribers, and manufacturers. Customized technology offerings serve as the backbone for our strength. Technology-driven workflows and patient touch points are designed to ensure positive patient outcomes.Together with their logistics partners, Bioscript initiated a cooler and cardboard box return program which they fund! In 2018 alone, this effort saved 25,000 coolers & boxes, 60,000 cooler gel packs, and 50,000 cooling blankets, from landfill. For prescription vials, Bioscript uses “Ecolovial” which is completely recyclable and made of 35% recycled plastic content.   They purchased a “Fax to Email” program for their pharmacy locations which transforms fax pages into emails, thus saving the need to print faxes