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Photo = Yuhan |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] A growing wave of eco-friendly management is sweeping through the Korean pharmaceutical industry, as companies step up efforts to reduce medical waste and simplify packaging. With an estimated 6,000 tons of pharmaceutical waste generated annually, the industry is turning to technology and education to promote sustainability.
On May 11, Alphabio announced the development of a new soft capsule with an extended shelf life of over three years—an improvement from the typical one to two years. Soft capsules are a dosage form that encases liquid medicine in a gelatin-based shell. The company plans to apply its patented drug formulation and capsule technology to both pharmaceutical products, such as cold and pain medications, and dietary supplements including omega-3 and lutein. Industry experts believe that extending the shelf life of medicines could lead to a significant reduction in pharmaceutical waste.
According to the Ministry of Environment, only around 10% of the 6,000 tons of pharmaceutical waste generated annually is collected through official channels. Although expired or unused medications are supposed to be discarded in designated collection boxes at pharmacies and public health centers, most are improperly disposed of in household trash or down the drain, causing soil, groundwater, and river pollution.
In response, pharmaceutical companies such as Huons are launching public awareness campaigns to promote proper disposal of unused medicines. In June of last year, Huons partnered with Seongnam City to conduct educational initiatives and monitoring programs to better understand why pharmaceutical waste is increasing.
Dong-A Pharmaceutical has also joined forces with logistics firm Yongma Logis to collect unused medicines from pharmacies and transport them to incineration facilities.
Other companies are taking steps to reduce packaging waste. HK inno.N and Yuhan Corporation are removing outer boxes and paper leaflets from their products. HK inno.N has introduced a "manual packing" system that attaches usage instructions directly to the medicine container, eliminating the need for separate inserts or boxes. The company also simplified internal packaging materials used to prevent damage during transportation, aiming to reduce resource usage while maintaining product safety.
Yuhan Corporation participated in a pilot project last year to electronically provide drug information via QR codes, replacing printed documents for seven product lines. The company estimates this change will reduce carbon emissions by 4.43 tons of CO₂ equivalent annually.
알파경제 Kim Jisun (stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
