Resource-Efficient Solutions for 25-Liter Aluminium Containers in the Symbicort Process Flow

Sammanfattning

The pharmaceutical industry operates under strict quality and safety requirements, where production systems are often designed to minimize contamination risks and ensure product quality. This could lead to extensive use of single-use materials associated with significant resource consumption and climate impact. This feasibility study investigated potential solutions for reducing the use of 25-liter single-use aluminium containers within the Symbicort 160/4.5 μg/dose process flow at AstraZeneca Site Respiratory in Södertälje. The study investigated both increased utilization of the waste collection containers used in the micronizing and micro mixing process steps, as well as the possibility of replacing the aluminium containers with reusable stainless steel containers. The work combined qualitative and quantitative methods, including interviews with production personnel and specialists, internal production data, supplier dialogues and comparative calculations related to costs and estimated Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) emissions. The current handling of the aluminium containers was found to contribute to substantial material consumption, recurring costs and climate impact due to the continuous purchasing and disposal of single-use containers. The results indicated that it could be possible to increase the fill level of the waste collection containers to approximately five times the current level, which was estimated to reduce annual costs by approximately SEK 300 000 and annual CO₂ emissions by approximately 12 600 kg. Interviews and production data indicated that implementation of integrated scales within the process equipment could make such a solution technically feasible within the existing production environment. The investigated stainless steel solution was also considered to be technically feasible from a material and process perspective. Over a five-year period, the reusable system was estimated to reduce material-related costs from approximately SEK 9.5 million to SEK 275 000, while estimated CO₂ emissions from material production were reduced from approximately 494 tonnes CO₂ to 0.68−2.38 tonnes CO₂ compared with the current single-use system. However, the study identified challenges related to cleaning validation, traceability, handling systems and increased container weight. Increased utilization of existing waste collection containers represents the most realistic improvement alternative within the current production setup, while reusable stainless steel containers could lead to significant long-term reductions in both resource consumption and climate impact if the identified implementation challenges can be managed.