When people talk about sustainability in pharmaceuticals, the focus is often on the manufacturing end. But distribution has a huge environmental footprint of its own, from packaging and transport to energy use and avoidable waste. For us, sustainability has never been just a buzzword or a PR exercise. It is baked into our values and has been a natural extension of how we think about doing things properly.
It started, as it usually does, with an honest look in the mirror
Several years ago, we realised that even though we were doing everything “right” from a regulatory standpoint, we weren’t yet doing everything we could for the environment.
So, we asked ourselves two blunt questions:
1. Where are we creating unnecessary waste?
2. Where are we using more energy or materials than we need to?
This started a journey that is still ongoing, not a grand public initiative, but a series of thoughtful and practical improvements across the operation.
Right sized packaging and plastics reduction: simple changes, massive impacts
One of the biggest early wins came from simply looking at the packaging and parcel sizes leaving our warehouse.
We noticed that some products, especially medical nutrition, FSMP samples, or mixed literature kits, were going out in boxes that were bigger than necessary. Nothing dramatic, but enough to add up across thousands of orders.
We redesigned our packing options, reduced void space, and in the process rationalised the cartons used for product. These are small choices individually, but across millions of units, they make a real difference.
We also pivoted away from any packaging containing plastics introducing paper tape, innovative paper-based documents enclosed wallets and environmentally friendly bubble wrap alternatives. It is through these combined small changes, what we call TNT (tiny, noticeable, things) that we are able to make a big impact.
Sustainability through accuracy — the least glamorous but most important point
In pharmaceutical and clinical nutrition distribution, errors are waste.
Incorrect orders lead to unnecessary returns.
Returns necessitate extra transport.
Extra transport leads to bigger carbon footprint.
Our market leading systemic processes incorporate scan pick, and secondary scan pack checks. But it is not all about having robust systems, our team from shop floor to top management take the time to understand our clients, instilling our value of CARE into what we do for them every day. That means minimising opportunity for errors which leads to fewer mistakes in turn meaning fewer shipments, fewer returns, and fewer wasted products. It’s not flashy, but it’s one of the most meaningful sustainability gains any fulfilment partner can make.
A more efficient warehouse is a more sustainable warehouse
Over the years, as the business has grown, we’ve needed to expand our operational footprint – in short we’ve taken on additional warehouse space. At each stage when doing this we always ensure our new facilities (as well as the old ones) are BREEAM rated Excellent. We then continue to invest in all our sites (new and old) be that through the installation of energy‑efficient lighting, solar panels, improved insulation, and 100% renewable electricity because it’s simply the right way to run a modern, resilient operation.
Better routing, fewer vehicles, cleaner flows
We’re constantly refining how we consolidate orders, group shipments by region, and avoid unnecessary journeys. Hybrid e commerce/B2B fulfilment models help us reduce fragmentation, and our carrier partnerships now prioritise lower emission routing and greener fleet options.
Again, this isn’t about making statements, it’s about smart operations that support the environment without compromising service.
The real outcome
Sustainability has become part of how we think, plan and work. It isn’t a project or a badge; it’s built into the decisions we make every day.
Clients trust us not only because we get things where they need to be, safely and compliantly, but because we try to do it in a way that respects the world those products will eventually help.
That’s the heart of our sustainability story: thoughtful improvements, made consistently, with a clear purpose, to be a logistics partner that does the right thing even when nobody is watching.
