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Waste Management

Waste reduction, recycling and responsible disposal are key components of our overall environmental strategy.

As part of our commitment to improving waste management we have increased the number of facilities which are zero waste to landfill from one last year (Global Headquarters, Craigavon Northern Ireland) to four this year; Craigavon (Northern Ireland), Charnwood (England), Dundalk (Ireland) and Souderton (USA).

The amount of waste generated across all facilities is shown in the table below:

Year Total Weight (tonnes) Kg/employee
FY22 7,910 1,215
FY23 7,793 1,107
FY24 8,932 1,191

 

NB this year we have changed the reporting period for waste to align with our fiscal year

The amount of waste generated in the last year has increased alongside the expansion of Almac’s operations globally. Annual variations also occur depending on the type and nature of work carried out.

Successful initiatives to increase recycling and recovery volumes have been implemented and we continue to keep this under review for further improvements.

Further analysis of waste data is provided below showing waste volumes ‘diverted from disposal’ Vs. ‘directed to disposal’:

Almost all plastic and cardboard waste is sent for recycling.

Waste type (2023/24) Waste Generated (tonnes) Diverted from disposal (tonnes) Directed to disposal (tonnes)
Hazardous waste 7,010 1,181 5,829
Non-Hazardous 1,922 1,117 8,04
Total 8,932 2,298 6,633

 

 

Reducing waste at Almac

We have worked on a number of sustainability initiatives within Almac Sciences which are aimed at reducing waste throughout their operations.

Solvent recovery

A new solvent recovery process established has resulted in 975 barrels of solvent having been recycled this year. This equates to over 145 MT of material and on average 47% of this waste category is now being recycled outside of Almac.

Packaging processes

Where possible Almac is moving to biobased drums to ship final products. These are 100% recyclable, climate neutral and can be recycled with standard HDPE products. Biobased plastics are made of renewable biological resources and are a sustainable alternative to fossil-based plastics. The containers meet European and US Pharmacopeia standards and can be used as primary packaging for pharmaceuticals.

All products used in packaging processes are 100% recyclable/biodegradable. Where feasible waste cardboard is converted into loose-fill packaging materials by shredding surplus material. Reusable boxes will also be used for temperature-controlled shipments instead of single-use shipment containers.

Reducing waste at Almac
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