EPM speaks to the Life Science business of Merck to learn about the company's initiative to implement a sustainability framework across its entire R&D network.
Sustainability
In April 2019, the Life Science business of Merck launched a four-year initiative that was aimed at improving its sustainability efforts when it came to packaging. For a global business shipping around 30,000 packages every day, the task was enormous. From reducing the overall amount of packaging it was using, maximising recycling, improving plastics sustainability and even targeting zero deforestation, the initiative was a statement of intent by the business to begin to understand its environmental impact – and do something about it.
“Invariably we know there are opportunities to decrease the number of resources we use,” Jeffrey Whitford, head of sustainability & social business innovation at the Life Science business of Merck tells me. “SMASH Packaging was really to say we understand and recognise this is something that will require further effort, that we are focusing on it and that here is the framework so you can see exactly what we’re doing.”