Korea-Germany Production Plant Re-designates Green Companies...Stay Qualified until 2028
Sep 02, 2025
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Handok, the first Korean pharmaceutical industry to be designated as a green company (formerly environmentally friendly company) in 2000, has maintained its green company status for the longest period under the jurisdiction of the Wonju Regional Environmental Office. 'Green Enterprise' is designated after rigorous screening and evaluation for workplaces that have contributed to environmental improvement, such as significant reduction of environmental pollutants and resource and energy savings. In recognition of its efforts to respond to climate change and the excellence of its systematic environmental management system, Korea-Germany will be re-designated.
The Handok production plant, located in Eumseong, Chungcheongbuk-do, is a state-of-the-art pharmaceutical production facility with an international-level cGMP quality management system and has led eco-friendly management. Since the 1990s, it has established health, safety, and environment (HSE) policies and established its own HSE integration system to continuously promote various environmental improvement activities such as reducing resources and energy and reducing pollutants.
Recently, as part of the response to climate change, solar facilities have been built in stages from 2023 to 2025 to expand the use of renewable energy. Currently, 16% of the plant's energy use is covered by renewable energy, which is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 10%.
Efforts to circulate resources and reduce waste are also being actively carried out. In cooperation with raw material suppliers, we are building and operating a packaging material reuse circulation system, and we register and use wood pallets used in production plants as circulation resources. In addition, from the product launch stage, the material and structure of packaging materials are evaluated, and activities to improve packaging materials of grades that are difficult to recycle are continued.
It is also taking the lead in expanding digital-based eco-friendly management. Resource reduction is being implemented through the campaign 'Making a Paperless Factory', and it is also participating in a pilot project to convert drug manuals to E-labels using QR codes.
Eco-friendly campaigns that lead to voluntary participation of employees are also actively underway. Through the 'Handok Green' campaign, eco-bags using lung hygiene suits and lung-printed guns are being produced, and through the 'My Failure & Plogging' activity and the 'Zero Disposable Products' campaign, paper cups were stopped and a culture of using multiple containers was established by all employees.
Meanwhile, Korea and Germany are also actively participating in environmental protection activities in connection with local communities. It is carrying out foreign plant removal activities with the Wonju Regional Environmental Office, and continues local environmental conservation activities such as the Cheorwon Crane Habitat Conservation and Donggang Picking Event.
Yoon Ju-yeon, vice president of the Handok production plant, said, "The re-designation of green companies is the result of Korea-Germany's implementation of sustainable environmental management. We will continue to make efforts not only to respond to climate change and circulate resources, but also to create a healthy environment."
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
