The drug and food industry, together with the BPOM, is at the forefront of guarding this Earth toward a sustainable future
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Food and Drug Supervisory Agency (BPOM) has asked the industry sector to use renewable raw materials and energy by prioritizing the reduce, reuse, and recycle (3R) principles.

"The active role of the drug and food industry has made a real contribution to preserving the environment by practicing environmentally friendly operational activities," the head of BPOM, Penny K. Lukito, said in an official statement received here on Tuesday.

At a dialogue forum on 'Heading Toward Sustainable Corporate Governance' on Monday, Lukito noted that environmental aspects are risks that must be managed in supply chain risk management.

Especially since the drug and food industry needs to apply environmental social and corporate governance (ESG) standards, she added.

This is based on findings that the production chain of the drug and food industry can be at risk of producing waste that is hazardous to the environment as well as contaminated products, she disclosed.

She asked the drug and food industry to exercise great care to ensure there are no contaminants in their products and their waste does not harm the environment.

"It needs real efforts at production facilities and community movements to reduce the potential of raw materials, finished products, and leftover consumption to become waste. We must be able to turn them into something with economic value for green and sustainable industry in the medicine and food sector," she explained.

BPOM has made a number of efforts to provide support to the industry, including granting permits and ensuring environmental safety for industries and products that comply with aspects of concern for the environment.

It is also carrying out comprehensive and systemic supervision of waste management in the drug and food industry, as a form of support for green industry policies according to environmental management systems, Lukito added.

She said that cooperation with the industry to create a sustainable environment is in line with the government's 2045 Golden Indonesia vision of becoming a sovereign, advanced, and sustainable country.

"The drug and food industry, together with the BPOM, is at the forefront of guarding this Earth toward a sustainable future," she remarked.

In addition, BPOM will continue to encourage the implementation of regulations siding with environmental sustainability to realize low emissions in drug and food production.

Earlier, on July 15–16, the agency had launched a campaign called "BPOM Cares for the Environment" by planting 11,828 medicinal trees simultaneously across Indonesia.

The movement is expected to encourage competition among drug and food industries in contributing to protecting the planet to ensure a better future for the nation's next generation.

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Translator: Hreeloita Dharma S, Resinta S
Editor: Sri Haryati
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