Sustainability framework for pharmaceutical manufacturing (PM): A review of research landscape and implementation barriers for circular economy transition

Emulating the positive developments of consumer products manufacturing industries, the pharmaceutical manufacturing (PM) industry is also leaning towards sustainable manufacturing. Expectations are on the rise to lower the undesirable impacts on the earth ecosystem caused by the manufacturing companies via new circular economy implementation. The current sustainable practices of PM industry focus largely on waste mitigation, rather than closing the resource loops through adopting the concept of circular economy. Academic studies are mainly concentrated on chemistry research in PM industry, while a systematic framework to guide the implementation of circular economy concept is missing.