ESG Goals vs. Practical Implementation

Pharmaceutical companies are committed to reducing waste and emissions, but implementation remains a challenge. Many focus on Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions, which involve direct emissions from operations and energy use. However, the largest contributor to their carbon footprint—Scope 3 emissions—often remains unaddressed.

Scope 3 emissions include:

• Purchased Goods & Services – The carbon footprint of manufacturing and transporting lab consumables, reagents, and equipment.
• Waste Disposal & Treatment – The emissions associated with landfill, incineration, or even recycling of unused materials.

While companies have made progress in optimizing energy use, reducing packaging waste, and streamlining logistics, the disposal of surplus, unused products is still a major gap in ESG strategy.

By reselling lab consumables before they expire, companies can reduce both upstream and downstream Scope 3 emissions, keeping valuable products in circulation instead of sending them to waste facilities.

Sanofi: A Case Study in Measurable ESG Impact

Sanofi, a global pharmaceutical leader, has committed to:

• Reducing Scope 3 emissions by 30% by 2030 (from a 2019 baseline).
• Ensuring 90% of waste is reused, recycled, or recovered by 2025.
• Achieving zero waste to landfill across all manufacturing sites.

While these goals are ambitious, integrating a resale model could accelerate progress. Here's how:

• Purchasing 5% of Goods Second-Hand – By acquiring lab consumables through resale, Sanofi reduces emissions linked to new product manufacturing.
• Reselling 20% of Non-Hazardous Waste – Rather than disposing of surplus materials, reselling them keeps valuable resources in use.

Impact: These two steps alone could cut Sanofi's Scope 3 emissions by more than 4%, significantly contributing to its 2030 targets.

Sanofi isn't alone—Pfizer, Novartis, Merck, and GSK all have ESG commitments that could benefit from similar resale strategies.

A Circular Economy Approach for Life Sciences

Beyond emissions reductions, resale platforms offer a practical way to strengthen the scientific community:

• Startups and smaller labs gain access to affordable lab supplies, reducing financial barriers to innovation.
• Excess inventory is redistributed rather than wasted, ensuring materials are used to their full potential.
• Global access to lab materials improves, particularly for developing countries where research resources are often scarce.

Pharmaceutical sustainability efforts have often focused on recycling and waste reduction. While these are important, a circular economy model—where products are reused before disposal—provides an even greater environmental and financial benefit.

Beyond Greenwashing: Why Resale Platforms Are a High-Impact ESG Solution

Sustainability initiatives work best when they are tangible, measurable, and scalable. While many ESG commitments focus on long-term transformation, resale platforms provide immediate, verifiable impact:

• Direct Waste Reduction – Every resold item prevents unnecessary disposal.
• Scope 3 Emission Cuts – Less production demand means lower emissions from raw material extraction, manufacturing, and shipping.
• Financial & Operational Efficiency – Companies recover value from unused stock while reducing procurement costs.

This is not a theoretical solution—it is a practical model that can be implemented today with clear environmental and financial benefits.

Moving from ESG Commitments to ESG Action

Pharmaceutical companies are making genuine efforts toward sustainability, but closing the loop on waste and emissions requires new strategies.

A resale model is:

• Easy to implement – No major infrastructure changes required.
• Cost-effective – Saves procurement costs and provides financial returns on surplus inventory.
• Scientifically responsible – Maximizes the value of research investments.

Instead of focusing only on long-term sustainability goals, companies can act now by integrating resale solutions into their ESG frameworks.

Final Takeaway: Resale is the Missing Link in ESG Strategies

Pharmaceutical companies are making significant progress in sustainability, but unused materials and surplus consumables remain an untapped area of ESG action.

By buying second-hand and reselling surplus lab consumables, companies can immediately reduce Scope 3 emissions, minimize waste, and support a more efficient, responsible, and sustainable life sciences sector.

Sustainability is about action, not just ambition—and resale is a direct, measurable step toward achieving real impact.