At Ferrer, we have already taken action in Costa Rica to fight for a livable planet. As a further demonstration of our commitment to generate a positive impact on society, in June 2021, we began a program in Costa Rica to recover expired or unused medicines that were in doctors' offices, in presentation of medical samples.
Why? The reason is very clear, for the year 2006 it was estimated that 3,784 tons of ordinary waste were generated per day in Costa Rica, which is equivalent to an increase of 2.7 times what was produced in 1991. In urban areas, approximately 1.1 kilograms of waste is generated per person per day.
Ferrer is the first pharmaceutical company to assume the commitment to recover waste medicines in the country. Our objectives are to raise awareness in the Costa Rican population about the impact of proper waste management and to train and inform about practices at home for proper waste management. Our intention is to expand the initiative to other countries in the Central American region starting in 2022 and together support the transition to a model based on the circular economy and sustainability.
In the last 6 months, we have recovered 525 kg of unused or expired medicines. This large amount of materials will not go to the landfill, will not contaminate water sources, nor will it pose a risk of poisoning, nor will it be used by counterfeiters. Thanks to this alliance, Ferrer's medical sales representatives carry out reverse logistics, remove expired products and transfer them to a safe place, so that they can be managed responsibly, as established by Costa Rican legislation.
In April, we will also promote this initiative in Guatemala, one of the largest countries in the region, as a demonstration of our commitment and the success of the program.
All these materials – medicines, as well as paper, cardboard, and packaging plastics – are accounted for by the ecoins platform and their equivalent will be donated to a social or environmental cause with a positive impact at the end of the first year of the program.
