September-October , 2021 | @ green
COVER STORY
07 ously strive for ISO 9001 certifications , ISO 13485 certifications , GMP certifications from NPRA and ISO 17025 accreditation . The reason we maintain all these practices is because we want to provide the best quality products to our customers .”
In an interview with @ green , Leonard Ariff talked about Duopharma Biotech ’ s sustainability practices , the misconception on sustainability , its continual improvement initiatives , green initiatives , energy , resources and waste management , and its inclusion in the FTSE4Good Bursa Malaysia Index .
Sustainability at Duopharma Biotech
According to Leonard , all sustainability initiatives at Duopharma Biotech are led by the Board of Directors , who are ultimately accountable for the company ’ s strategic direction .
“ As far as sustainability is concerned , we ’ ve elevated it into the board level . So , there ’ s a committee at the board called the Risk Management and Sustainability Committee . Here , we have an element of top-down , and at the same time , we have a sustainability department within the organisation that reports to the chief manufacturing officer .
“ This ensures our sustainability values are instilled in our business operations as our governance tone is directed from the top .
“ We have also crafted a sustainability policy based on stakeholder engagements and advocate for our sustainability culture within our business operations . Moreover , we have integrated sustainability-related risks into our Enterprise Risk Management ( ERM ).”
He shared the company also conducted sustainability training for staff of various departments . The training , led by sustainability specialists , aimed to enhance staff ’ s awareness and knowledge on sustainability and apply it in their daily operations where applicable .
The misconception on sustainability
In pursuing the green pharmaceutical route , Leonard Ariff said : “ We ’ ve been monitoring our energy usage and also water usage for several years . At the moment , we have specific targets in terms of intensity of use .
“ The intensity of use means when you produce a litre of product , a certain amount of water is used . The higher the demand for the product , obviously , the more water you ’ re going to use .
“ When we say intensity , it ’ s not the absolute amount of water we ’ re using . It ’ s more to do with the fact that for every bottle you produce , you don ’ t create additional wastage .”
He believed the intensity concept had to be correctly understood by people who opted for sustainability . He highlighted that sustainability did not mean manufacturers would have to use less electricity but more optimally .
“ If your sales for next year double your sales this year , then you want to make sure your electricity usage doesn ’ t exceed double the amount . The intensity should be the same . So , this concept is what many people are confused about when they talk about sustainability .
“ It ’ s not about using less , but making sure what you use you ’ re using it optimally .”
Continual improvement initiatives by OE team
He highlighted the core business for Duopharma Biotech was manufacturing and supply chain . Therefore , he believed it was essential to drive optimal efficiency in all related processes to underline sustainability .
“ Operational excellence is driven by continual improvement ( CI ) activities covering our entire supply chain , from our manufacturing plants to our warehouses and up to our customers ’ premises . Our Operation Excellence ( OE ) team uses LEAN methodology to lead these CI initiatives under the sustainability department .
“ Duopharma Biotech has committed to reducing our electricity consumption intensity by five per cent every year by implementing energy efficiency initiatives such as replacing old fluorescent tubes and metal halide high bay lights with similar versions using light-emitting diodes ( LED ).
“ We even have various water recycling initiatives implemented to minimise water waste , such as rainwater harvesting .
“ Lastly , in a bid to reduce plastic pollution , we embarked on a pilot project to switch from using non-biodegradable plastic to biodegradable plastic for storing materials to prevent contact and contamination .
“ We even conduct recycling in our operations by applying the 3Rs ( reduce , reuse , recycle ) for non-scheduled wastes .”
Duopharma Biotech ’ s green initiatives
With regards to waste management , Leonard Ariff said Duopharma Biotech accepted goods returned by customers . These can ’ t be resold . They would be written off and disposed of in incinerators in a legal manner .
“ As I mentioned previously , we have also embarked on a pilot project to switch from using non-biodegradable plastic in storing materials ( to prevent contact and contamination ) to using biodegradable plastic , in a bid to reduce plastic pollution .”
SBA 2020 / 2021
Duopharma and ArtMatrik declared winners
DUOPHARMA BIOTECH BHD and ArtMatrix Technology Sdn Bhd were selected overall winners in the SME and Large Enterprises categories .
Global Initiatives Communications Pte Ltd , a Singapore-based firm that employs sustainability and data science expertise to assist businesses in becoming more sustainable , organised the awards presentation .
The SBA , which began in 2012 and now spans five countries : Singapore , Malaysia , Indonesia , the Philippines , and Thailand , is the region ’ s foremost sustainable awards programme .
PriceWaterhouseCoopers ( PwC ), the knowledge partner in evaluating submissions , assisted in the assessment process , and the results were submitted to an independent National Advisory Panel ( NAP ) for each country .
PwC Malaysia , the World Business Council for Sustainable Development and BCSD Malaysia , the Malaysian Industry- Government Group for High Technology ( MIGHT ), Novafusion , Thought for Food , The Malaysian Reserve , and the Green Growth Asia Foundation supported the third edition of the awards in Malaysia .
The winners were picked based on their consistently good performance in 12 different areas .
On the other hand , Heineken ( M ) Bhd got a Highly Commended Award for the quality of its overall sustainability programmes . Heineken addressed water management , responsible consumption , and sustainable sourcing challenges with robust sustainability governance in place .
Their track record reflected modest gains over time and lofty long-term ambitions .
Shefali Chaddha , ED and COO of Global Initiatives , said that while a considerable number of SMEs applied for the prizes , only a tiny percentage of them successfully completed the process .
“ This demonstrates that , while SMEs are engaged in improving their sustainability efforts , they still have a long way to go and want further help and encouragement .
“ We discovered that huge organisations are at different phases of their sustainability journey . However , the victors of today are an example to others ,” he stated in a statement .
The SBA procedure has been greatly improved this year . Each participant , for example , received an Individual Insights Report that provided a full overview of their sustainability readiness and compared it to global reporting standards .