SINGAPORE \u2013 Pharmacists from Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) have taken a green approach by redesigning pill packaging into a single-material paper box. <\/p>\n
They removed the clear plastic window covering on the old box, replacing it with six perforated holes that still allow pharmacists and patients to identify the medicine, while ensuring the boxes remain durable and compatible with the automated pharmacy dispensing systems.<\/p>\n
By doing so, and with the buy-in of the 16 public hospitals and polyclinics across the three public healthcare clusters in Singapore, TTSH unlocked the potential to recycle an estimated 4.36 million of the redesigned boxes a year.<\/p>\n
This would reduce carbon emissions by 4,592kg, roughly equivalent to 24 round-trip flights between Singapore and Bangkok.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe also look at cost savings across the clusters, about a 29 per cent reduction. So that\u2019s about $400,000 in packaging cost over four years, with zero disruptions to pharmacy operations for patient safety or care… We have moved from a waste contributor to a sustainability champion,\u201d said Ms Alicia Lin, a senior pharmacist at TTSH, who spearheaded the initiative. <\/p>\n
\u201cIn healthcare, sustainability was never in the equation. Our focus is always on patient safety and workplace efficiency. So our director (Lim) Hong Yee and the head of pharmacy practice (Chong) Yi San created and provided support for an Eco-Pharmers team and got the pharmacy staff to think about sustainability, to think about how we can be green in our day-to-day practices,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n
Ms Lin said the spark was lit at the Healthcare Sustainability Innovation Challenge, organised by the Centre for Healthcare Innovation and the Singapore Institute of Technology in 2024. <\/p>\n
\u201cAt the start, two of the 16 institutions rejected our design as they had some concerns (like whether the new paper boxes were sturdy enough, or if the pills might spill out of the earlier holes, which were round in shape),\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe kept going back to the drawing board. We actually went through five different versions and worked with our packaging vendor, Winson Press. They gave us the prototypes to test and put through our machines. Our breakthrough finally came about in October 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n
The initiative marks the first coordinated sustainability effort of its kind across all three clusters and reinforces NHG Health\u2019s commitment to greener care and better health outcomes for the population.<\/p>\n (From left) Pharmacy practice head Chong Yi San, pharmacy technician executive Ooi Kit Siang, pharmacy director Lim Hong Yee, senior pharmacist Alicia Lin and senior pharmacy technician Debbie Cheng designed the single-material paper medication box.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The team swept the table at the inaugural TTSH Sustainability Awards, receiving both the Eco-impact and Sustainability in Everyday Practice prizes from Senior Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment Janil Puthucheary at the hospital\u2019s Earth Day 2026 on April 23. <\/p>\n Speaking at the event, Dr Janil praised TTSH for taking the lead in driving sustainability and circularity through innovative, practical solutions.<\/p>\n He cited the example of replacing desflurane \u2013 a well-established general anaesthetic gas that has a global warming potential more than 2,500 times greater than that of carbon dioxide \u2013 with the more environmentally friendly alternative, sevoflurane, and reducing desflurane usage by 66 per cent from 2022 to 2023, followed by an additional 20 per cent in 2024. <\/p>\n \u201cTTSH\u2019s commitment to sustainability has demonstrated how environmental responsibility can go hand in hand with high-quality care, operational excellence and innovation,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n<\/picture><\/div>