Uni-Pharma, a pharmaceutical industry that is part of the Tsetis Group of Pharmaceutical Companies, has set its sights on Environmental Protection, Sustainable Development and Climate Change for years now.
Both UNI-PHARMA and INTERMED S.A., which are members of Tsetis Group of Pharmaceutical Companies, are low-impact industries that manufacture eco-friendly products (cosmetics, medical devices, soaps & sanitizers, food supplements, foods for special dietary purposes, dry tea herbs for concoctions) and mild non-prescription medicines (antipyretics, anti-inflammatory drugs etc.).
From the daily activities of its employees to the stages of production and the modern Bioclimatic Laboratory – a state-of-the-art unit that is unique in the entire region of Europe – Uni-Pharma constantly proves that it takes courage and outspokenness to be socially responsible. To further emphasize this point, when this environmental footprint and the green responsible actions are in harmonious “marriage” with Health and Safety at Work, the result is more than just excellent: it is also virtuous, thus sending a message for a responsible society, one that must be first and foremost supported by its business members.
The activities of the Group are carried out on the basis of absolute respect towards the environment, avoidance of aquifer and soil pollution, full compliance with national and European laws and continuous improvement of activities, aiming at environmental protection. The Group improves its activities through the use of Best Available Techniques (B.A.T.), whose aim is to reduce pollution and environmental footprint. For this reason, the clear priority of the Group is the development of ecological awareness and the rational use of natural resources.
The new bioclimatic facilities of Uni-pharma, oriented to the full exploitation of climate conditions in order to ensure the smooth operation of the company, while simultaneously decreasing all energy-intensive processes, are fully harmonized with the natural environment, setting the standards for bioclimatic (green) implementation and demonstrating state-of-the-art technology systems at a Greek, European and international level.
The increased thermal insulation reduces the heating requirements of the building by 8.6% on an annual basis. The annual saving of energy, which is achieved through the external shading of glazing by means of metal blinds with south and east orientation, is 14% on the cooling of the building. The application of night ventilation in the production, laboratory and office areas results in a decrease of the cooling load down to 19%.
In total, the implementation of the aforementioned energy measures achieves an annual energy saving of 23.5% in the heating load and 50.6% in the cooling load.
Apart from that, despite the difficult times brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, the greatest health crisis that the planet has ever faced, the Tsetis Group of Pharmaceutical Companies continues to invest in quality – as it has always done – and not backsliding in terms of Health and Safety at Work, in order to protect its people and the environment.
The extensive Environmental Program “Recycling with sorting at source”, with the separation of solid waste according to type and color (paper in a yellow bin, plastic and nylon in a green bin, glass in a red bin, aluminum in a blue bin and wood in a brown bin) inspired the ecologic awareness of employees and contributed to the recycling of all solid non-hazardous wastes, in collaboration with authorized recycling companies, as well as the operation of both companies with reduced environmental impact compared to the previous year, based on the principle of circular economy.
In addition, the systematic training of staff on the subjects of rational use of water, Natural Gas and electricity for avoiding unnecessary consumption, the reduction of equipment washing through optimized production planning, the use of modern and less energy-intensive mechanical equipment with higher production capacity and performance, the regulation of water heaters and steam boilers, along with the control of operation and regular maintenance of water heaters and steam boilers, resulted in decreasing the consumption of natural resources (water, Natural Gas, Electricity) over a five-year period; this led to the Group winning the SILVER award for reduced water consumption throughout its companies over the course of the recent five years.
The Administration of Uni-pharma Kleon Tsetis Pharmaceutical Laboratories S.A. is committed to responsible Energy Management as part of its total Environmental Policy. Uni-pharma pursues the rational use of energy in the most effective, financially profitable and environmentally responsible manner, in order to maximize energy performance, minimize operating expenses, and reduce the environmental impact associated with energy use, while simultaneously maintaining its operating objectives and an acceptable work environment for its employees.
What is highly significant is that all Group facilities have developed and implemented Integrated Environmental & Energy Management Systems, comprising a Total Hazardous Pharmaceutical Waste Management System, 100% office paper recycling and 100% training of staff on issues of environmental management, energy saving and waste management, according to the new ISO 14001:2015 and ISO 50001:2018 standards.
More specifically, the Administration of Uni-pharma is committed to the provision of the necessary resources for achieving a number of strategic objectives, such as:
Investment in energy-efficient buildings and projects with long-term depreciation,
Use of energy in the most efficient possible manner,
Development of a system for targeting and monitoring performance for energy consumption on an annual basis,
Design and improvement of equipment for reducing the energy footprint,
Use of optimal available techniques and latest technology and more eco-friendly equipment,
Minimization of CO2 and pollutant emissions that are likely to bring harm to the environment,
Reduction of dependence on fossil fuels through the use of alternative and/or renewable forms of energy, wherever feasible in practical and financial terms.
The countless awards and distinctions which Uni-pharma has won are the capstone of its awareness and targeted policies for the environment and the consumption of energy.
Tsetis Group of Pharmaceutical Companies loves responsibility, loves the environment, and proves it in practice each and every day!
Recycling – U & I Green
The facilities of Group companies host recycling programs with participation by the employees and with the use of special recycling bins: yellow bins solely for the recycling of paper, green for plastic, blue for aluminum, red for glass and brown for wood.
In the framework of “U & I Green” actions, and aiming at the rational use and limitation of paper consumption, the Group companies apply a number of practices, such as:
Use of fax servers
Use of printers with double-sided printing capacity.
Scanning and electronic storage of documents.
Electronic filing and monitoring of procedures.
The rational use of natural resources, namely energy, water and Natural Gas, along with the continuous improvement of performance of our buildings and processes, are important pillars of responsible environmental management for the Group. For this reason, we monitor the consumption of natural resources, apply saving measures and set objectives.
Reduction of energy consumption
A number of indicative practices we have applied through the “U & I Green” actions, towards the goal of reduction of electricity consumption, are:
The careful use of lighting, through the use of technologies such as automated photocell mechanisms instead of using conventional switches, combined with the application of other practical methods.
The replacement of conventional lamps by energy-saving lamps in our total facilities.
The use of 100% latest technology computer monitors.
The reduction of lighting needs in all areas of operation of automated machinery, which take up 80% of operations.
The adjustment of employee work shifts in order for the majority of their work to take place within the day during periods of reduced work volume.
The use of new facilities of Group Companies with bioclimatic orientation, state-of-the-art and less energy-intensive mechanical equipment and higher production capacity and performance, on the basis of bioclimatic criteria and energy-saving specifications.
Water conservation
The main measures taken by the Group for water conservation are the following:
The reduction of equipment washing through better production planning.
The systematic training of employees in subjects of rational water use to avoid unnecessary consumption.
The use of new technologies and the placement of automated flow systems in the taps of sanitary facilities, with photocells instead of conventional taps, in order to decrease water consumption.
Natural Gas conservation
The main measures taken by the Group for Natural Gas conservation are the following:
Installation of Natural Gas detectors in the water heater and steam boiler room areas.
Monitoring of Natural Gas pipe system and detectors for any leaks by a certified external associate.
Upgrading of the water supply tank of steam boilers, full waterproofing of the tank cap, installation of new level indicator and thermometer.
Automated control of the water level in the water supply tank of steam boilers and installation of motorized valve with end effector for filling said tank with a specific quantity of water whenever required by the Greek water supply network (operated by EYDAP).
Installation of automated system for the parallel operation of both steam boilers, in order for the second steam boiler to automatically enter the steam network only when such entry is necessary based on steam demand. This particular automation resulted in the optimized operation of the steam boilers both during the hours of operation (same operating hours for each boiler) and in natural gas conservation.
The Company has set as goals the reduction of the environmental impact of the company's activities and the prevention of pollution incidents, as well as the monitoring and continuous improvement of its energy performance. Thus, it carries out recycling and energy saving actions in all its facilities. The employees are informed about the recycling and energy saving actions implemented by the Company and participate very actively in these relevant actions, under the umbrella of U & I Care, and in particular of U & I Green - You and I & UNI-PHARMA & INTERMED we care about the environment ".
With the protection of the environment in mind, we implement the Sustainability Strategy, aiming at green growth, in accordance with the principles of the circular economy and innovation. In this context, we take care of the conversion of waste into usable resources, with the minimum environmental footprint, for a more "clean" and "green" future for the next generations and the Green Future of the OFET Group, by integrating Sustainable Development in Its DNA, by placing the ESG Criteria at the core of its business mission and overall operation.
Actions with environmental and ecological sign
Important actions for the protection of the Environment and the marine ecosystem, are carried out by the Green Team of the Tseti Pharmaceutical Companies Group (with the pharmaceutical companies UNI-PHARMA & INTERMED) in the Aegean islands.
The team, in particular, carried out underwater and coastal cleaning on the beaches of Syros and collected plastics, in collaboration with the head of the Hellenic Environmental Organization "All for Blue" Mrs. Katerina Topouzoglou and her team specialized in diving, in the presence of the Syros Port Authority, K. Syros and the Mayor of Syros.
These actions could be the most successful of the marine plastic waste reduction measures, as they could prevent 16,000 tonnes of marine litter annually by 2030, as well as save 620,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions, contributing to the reduction of change.
The environment is intertwined and is directly related to man and his quality of life. For this reason, our Group has set as its main axis the respect towards it, through the continuous development of actions and procedures for its protection. Thus, by designing and gradually implementing systems, facilities and equipment and investing steadily in modern solutions, the OFET Group has managed to reduce its environmental footprint.
Our goal is to reduce our carbon footprint by 50% by 2030, helping to achieve the EU 's ambitious goals of climate neutrality.