Ildong Pharmaceutical Receives Prime Minister's Commendation for 'Leading Resource Circulation Company' Award

Ildong Pharmaceutical announced on the 8th that it received the Prime Minister's Commendation at the ‘2023 Leading Resource Circulation Company Awards’ ceremony hosted by the Ministry of Environment in celebration of the ‘15th Resource Circulation Day’.

Lee Seok-jun, Executive Director and Head of Cheongju Plant at Ildong Pharmaceutical, is receiving a certificate of commendation from Han Hwa-jin, Minister of Environment. [Photo by Ildong Pharmaceutical]

Resource Circulation Day, held annually on September 6, was established jointly by the Ministry of Environment and the Korea Waste Association to raise awareness about the importance of protecting the global environment and recycling resources. The day includes commemorative events and an awards ceremony for leading companies and organizations. Ildong Pharmaceutical was selected as a ‘Leading Resource Circulation Company’ for enhancing environmental competitiveness and contributing to the establishment of a sustainable circular economy through ▲resource saving and reuse ▲waste reduction ▲development of related technologies and process improvements.

Regarding the operation of its Cheongju plant in Chungbuk, Ildong Pharmaceutical achieved results in reducing waste and exhaust gas emissions, recycling or converting wastewater, thereby preventing environmental pollution and reducing costs. In particular, the company applied an electronic oxidation decomposition method instead of the conventional outsourced incineration for high-concentration waste generated in the process, reducing pollutant emissions. Emissions of exhaust gases such as chloromethane were also lowered below permissible limits by utilizing idle facility equipment. Additionally, by converting wastewater generated during purified water production and plant operation into cooling water through process improvements and reusing it, the company succeeded in reducing industrial water usage by approximately 9,000 tons annually.

To participate in ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management, which has recently become a key issue in the industry, Ildong Pharmaceutical has established a company-wide ‘Environmentally Friendly Management Policy’ and is strengthening detailed activities. In 2017, it obtained the international environmental management standard ‘ISO 14001’ certification for production facilities and processes, and has continuously pursued expansion and renewal of the certification scope since then. The company has also set key performance indicators (KPIs) related to environmental management and is conducting various activities such as ▲preventing environmental pollution and reducing waste ▲developing eco-friendly processes ▲improving auxiliary materials and packaging ▲saving energy and resources ▲expanding investment in environmental facilities ▲implementing campaigns and participation encouragement programs for employees.

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