What sustainability really means for pharmaceutical ingredients

Sustainability is not just an environmental consideration. In pharmaceuticals, patient supply and consistent quality should always be at the forefront. Sourcing ingredients from unstable, costly or environmentally sensitive sources can leave you exposed to supply disruption, rising costs and increasing restrictions. 

Responsible sourcing begins with understanding where ingredients come from 

Partnering with a supplier who is transparent about the source of the ingredients they supply is an important first step in achieving your sustainability goals. Not only are there risks in a lack of transparency for your goals, but there's also a supply chain risk, which may result in delays for treatment to patients. 

Just because an ingredient is renewable or biobased does not mean it is responsibly sourced. 

Renewable ingredients = materials that can be replenished on a human timescale 

Biobased = materials are either completely or partly made from natural materials 

Whilst these solutions could be assumed to be more sustainable, issues can lie in how the primary feedstocks and resources are grown and produced, the type of product you want to create, and the materials and processes used to get there. Responsible sourcing must protect both natural systems and continuity of supply. 

Transparency turns sustainability claims into informed decisions 

Without transparent information and data, sustainability claims have little value and risk being considered greenwashing. Product Carbon Footprints (PCFs), lifecycle information, sourcing certifications, and manufacturing data can be decision-making tools helping procurement and sustainability teams compare options, rather than relying on broad claims. 

At Croda Pharma, we provide PCFs covering our cradle-to-grate emissions including Scope 1, Scope 2 and upstream Scope 3 emissions. We have PCFs available for more than 900 products and they are calculated using real manufacturing data using a methodology aligned with recognised industry standards.

Sustainable ingredients must still meet pharmaceutical standards 

Sustainability in ingredients does not replace quality, purity, performance or regulatory compliance. Alternative sources must still deliver the consistency and performance needed throughout development and commercial manufacture. Croda Pharma's collaboration with Amyris to produce a Sustainably Sourced Squalene is a great example of meeting all these needs.  

Squalene is a proven ingredient in vaccine adjuvant systems used in seasonal and pandemic vaccines. Traditionally sourced from shark liver, it presents a clear biodiversity challenge and highlights the need for a more sustainable alternative.  

Our non-animal fermentation-based alternative fulfils the stringent requirements of vaccine manufacturers while supporting supply security and reducing pressures on marine biodiversity.  

What should you ask your ingredient supplier? 

You should always look for an ingredient supplier to be open and honest about their product origins and sustainability plans, not just on a corporate level but how they include sustainability in their everyday operations. Here are a few examples of what you can ask: 

1. Where does the ingredient originate? 
2. Is the source traceable? 
3. Could the source be affected by depletion, restriction, or geopolitical disruption? 
4. What evidence supports the supplier’s sustainability claims? 
5. Is Product Carbon Footprint information available? 
6. What is the scope and completeness of the data? 
7. How is the ingredient’s quality and consistency controlled? 
8. Can the source scale with future demand? 
9. Could switching sources create technical or regulatory implications? 
10. How does the supplier plan to reduce environmental impacts over time? 

Sustainability is a measure of long-term suitability 

Sustainability in pharma ingredients is incredibly important and shouldn't be reduced to a single claim, certification, or carbon figure. It requires a broad and in-depth assessment of where ingredients come from, how they are produced, and whether it can support reliable production or high demand over the long term. 

The suppliers that are most valuable will be those that can combine responsible sourcing, transparent data, decarbonisation, supply resilience and dependable pharmaceutical performance.