Page 62 - CIJ May 2023 Digital Edition

Waste ManageMent

Pharma Waste Management
From collection to incineration

Among the many ways in which the pharmaceutical industry is highly

regulated, the management of the waste it generates is always under
the lens of environmental regulators. To start with, the industry is
responsible for multiple, unrelated streams of waste that must all be

processed differently. In many cases, it must be treated before it is
disposed of. And to top it all, some of these processes are prohibitively

expensive for an individual player.

Asad Warsi, CEO, Eco Pro Environmental Services distils his decades of
experience into an all-encompassing review of the waste management
operations of the Indian pharma sector.

Waste streams and one designed for any other

In the pharma sector, three main application is that the former has to
be a twin chamber incinerator with
types of waste are generated: liquid/ a minimum combustion efficiency
effluent waste, packaging waste and of 99%. It should have two
drug waste (hazardous/biomedical chambers; the temperature in the
waste). The latter category may primary chamber should be 800±50
consist of leftover material, off- °C, whereas in the secondary
specification material or product chamber, a temperature of 1050±50
batches that do not meet quality °C needs to be maintained. This is
assurance criteria. All of these are because if there are any unburnt/
generated at the manufacturing carbon particles left over from
unit; apart from this, there are also the primary chamber, they will
expired medicines or products be incinerated in the secondary
damaged after distribution, during chamber. For the latter to have
storage. 99% efficiency, it should have a
The liquid waste needs to be residence time of two seconds.
treated at effluent treatment plants; Earlier, incinerators had to be
the sludge generated from this imported but now, there are a few
process is hazardous and needs good manufacturers of quality
to be sent to Common Hazardous incinerators in India itself.
Waste Treatment, Storage and
Disposal Facilities (TSDFs),
whereas the solid waste, which Pollution control
is the basic bulk drug waste and Earlier, wet scrubbing systems
formulation waste, has to be were prevalent but now, dry
incinerated. scrubbing is in vogue. Ceramic
candle filters are being preferred
Incineration over bag filters.

The basic difference between an Pollutants generated during the
incineration system designed for incineration process are being
pharma/biomedical waste disposal collected in the form of solid dust.

MAY 2023•Clean India Journal
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