Pharmaceuticals in the Environment
Originally published in Alkermes September 2023 Corporate Responsibility Report
We understand the significant potential impacts that pharmaceuticals can have on the environment. We maintain strict internal protocols to adhere to the parameters of our applicable licenses and permits, mitigate the impacts of our operations on natural resources such as surface water and groundwater, and assist us in effectively controlling our air and wastewater emissions.
As part of our development and manufacturing scale-up of new, proprietary molecules, we have implemented programs to enable us to understand and mitigate associated environmental impacts. For example, we partner with third- party experts to identify practices to assist us in characterizing and understanding appropriate eco-toxicology and safe discharge limits.
We have implemented science- and data-driven environmental risk mitigation strategies and continually evaluate opportunities to improve our emissions control systems in order to better protect the environment and enhance the environmental sustainability of our operations.
Preserving the Biodiversity of our Local Communities
Alkermes is committed to conserving and enhancing biodiversity in the local communities where we operate. We recognize the importance of protecting natural areas and habitats. In this context, we established a biodiversity action plan in 2019, which includes assessment of opportunities to enhance biodiversity at our sites.
At our Wilmington facility, we conducted a full-site survey and developed a plan to convert 12 acres of planted grassland into a pollinator field. Twenty-five unique species of plants were planted to increase site biodiversity, which are expected to become full grown by 2026. A maintenance plan was also established to drive plant and insect diversity.
At our Athlone facility, employees have undertaken various actions to preserve and promote local plant and animal life around our site. In 2022, we completed planting of a “pollinator garden” to support local plant and animal populations.
