Examining the Costs and Implications of Pharma Packaging Incineration
Pharmaceutical packaging incineration is a popular method used by many industries for disposing unwanted products. However, with various costs and drawbacks associated with this method, there’s a growing concern about its environmental and health impact.
Understanding Pharma Packaging Incineration
Pharma packaging incineration, a process employed by healthcare facilities and environmental services, is a tool in hazardous waste management. This process is the controlled burning of pharmaceutical waste, such as blister packs, to destroy it.
The Process Involved in Pharma Packaging Incineration
Incineration of pharmaceutical waste involves feeding the waste into a high-temperature incinerator, equipped with heat exchangers for energy recovery. The heat eliminates the biological and chemical hazards while reducing the waste volume. However, the process generates toxic emissions like hydrochloric acid and dioxins, contributors to climate change and detrimental to human health. The residues, often rich in heavy metals, need to be carefully processed to prevent environmental contamination. All these steps require a series of operating parameters and parameter optimization. Notably, the silt density index plays a key role in this process, yet is frequently overlooked, adding to the complexity of the system.
The elemental composition of blister packages makes them difficult to incinerate efficiently. PVC, for instance, forms hydrochloric acid during incineration, requiring neutralization before safe disposal. Therefore, waste management methods like wastewater treatment, effluent decontamination systems, or liquid discharge systems often follow incineration to deal with these effluents. In reality, the waste isn’t completely eliminated but transferred to various forms, making proper disposal even more challenging. Incineration also demands a significant residence time, adding to its operational inefficiency. Companies rarely account for this, ignoring the indirect costs linked to the residence time in their economic evaluation.
It’s crucial to perform pack integrity testing to ensure your tablets remain safe and effective in the package.
The Real Costs of Pharma Packaging Incineration
The pharmaceutical industry is always characterized by blister packaging which envelopes tablets and capsules. Incinerating this pharmaceutical waste is an industrial waste management method. However, what many don’t realize are the real costs involved, both financially and environmentally.
Initial Capital and Installation Costs
Among the primary costs associated with pharmaceutical packaging incineration is the hefty price of initial capital and installation. Multi-million dollar incineration facilities are required to process this waste efficiently. These units need an Eddy current separator, heat exchangers, and an effluent decontamination system to minimize risk of hazardous substances entering the environment after incineration.
The other costs involved during installation include acquiring land with the right zoning for an incinerating facility, safety measures to protect the environment and human health, and expert consultation for parameter optimization of the plant considering various factors like silt density index.
Ongoing Maintenance and Operation Costs
Once the incineration facility is established, there are ongoing costs for its operation and maintenance. This includes labor cost, cost of fuels, and periodic replacement of parts such as heat exchangers. Waste management services also require monitoring the operating parameters and indicative flowsheet to avoid breakdowns and ensure continuous function.
Furthermore, these facilities must always comply with regulatory requirements which could involve regular testing of air quality, water quality around the plant and controlled discharge of waste through a liquid discharge system. The treatment of generated wastewater should also be managed using biological wastewater treatment systems—another addition to cost.
Environmental Impact and Health Implications
An often overlooked aspect of pharma packaging incineration pertains to the environmental impact and the subsequent health implications it stirs up. Incinerating pharma blister packages made of plastic layers, including the harmful polyvinyl chloride (PVC), releases toxins into the air and contributes to climate change. The World Health Organisation reveals that these toxins lead to detrimental health effects, such as respiratory diseases and even cancers.
Incineration also results in a rise in carbon footprint due to greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to global warming. Furthermore, harmful substances like hydrochloric acid, lactic acid, and residues often end up in the waste stream, polluting water sources. Unfortunately, water filtration plants and efficient sewage disposal methods are still being initiated in many parts of the world, and these uncaptured pollutants pose a threat to human and wildlife alike.
Non-Destructive Leak Testing: An Alternative to Pharma Packaging Incineration
Destructive testing methods in the pharmaceutical industry, such as blue dye testing, contribute to excessive waste, energy consumption, and CO2 emissions.
Non-destructive leak testing methods can recover faulty packaging and save the valuable tablets and capsules inside. By repackaging these products instead of incinerating them, you can significantly reduce waste and incineration costs. Not only does this eco-friendly approach minimize waste, but it also decreases energy consumption and harmful pollutants in our environment.
Non-Destructive Leak Testing Equipment: Sepha Multi-Q
At Ascend Packaging Systems, we distribute the Sepha Multi-Q machine, a game-changer in non-destructive leak detection for non-porous, rigid, and flexible packaging. With its compatibility with vacuum decay and pressure decay testing methods, you can be confident that no leaks will go unnoticed. It also provides flexibility by allowing you to switch between testing methods, depending on your product and testing requirements. Plus, its small size and easy recipe changes make it a breeze to use.
The Sepha VisionScan 3D
Using a patented 3D scanning technique, the Sepha VisionScan 3D machine detects leaks in pharmaceutical blister packs like never before. What sets the VisionScan 3D apart is its ability to pinpoint the exact cavity where leaks exist, providing a clear pass or fail result. And here’s the best part—your precious tablets remain untouched, ready to be put back on the production line. Designed to make your life easier, this machine boasts a range of incredible features. Its flexibility allows you to move it anywhere on your production line. Plus, the VisionScan 3D requires no tools, making it perfect for running multiple products.
If you’re intrigued by the environmental implications of pharma packaging incineration, or you want to know more about its cost factor, contact Ascend today.
