Note from our Director, Sustainability David Newman

What does “sustainability” mean?

For me, being a better citizen of the world doesn’t require that I live in a dark, freezing house. I look at my own sustainability practices as a series of small steps; for instance, installing an energy efficient gas boiler in our home, living close to work and shortening my commute, printing documents as little as possible, and now working to lead Millipore’s Sustainability initiative.

On a corporate level, Millipore demonstrates sustainability in a number of ways. Recycling cans, bottles and packaging; recovering and recycling chemicals; installing advanced building management systems in a factory; or changing the materials of construction in a product — all these efforts reduce our company’s impact on the world around us, while allowing us to continue to advance and operate a profitable, growing business. After all, we need to grow to be sustainable, too.

At Millipore, our primary objective is to be the leading global products and services company in the Life Science community. As part of that mission we have created our Sustainability program in order to act in a responsible, ethical, and proactive manner that anticipates our impacts and tries to reduce them. Much of the activity that now falls under our Sustainability program is not new. In addition to the innovative products our forward-thinking employees have been developing, we have been initiating innovative environmental programs for years.

Five years ago, we installed systems for recycling process wastewater in our Jaffrey, New Hampshire facility. In Bedford, Massachusetts, we installed variable-speed chemical extraction hoods and heat recovery systems to save energy by exhausting less conditioned air. Our largest three manufacturing sites have been certified to ISO 14001, the international environmental management systems standard, since just after the standard was implemented.

A confession: We may have more questions than answers. What is the right mix of renewable energy, on-site renewable generation, RECs (Renewable Energy Certificates) and conservation? How do we reduce the impacts of disposable products and packaging that may go to licensed processes at our customers’ facilities? How do we reduce the impacts of our fleet vehicles without adversely affecting our employees’ ability to do their jobs, thus providing the very best service in the field?

We are fortunate that Millipore has exhibited a strong sustainability ethic for a long time. Now, we’re raising it to the next level. I hope you’ll enjoy learning about Millipore and our passion for sustainability, reading about what steps we’ve taken, and also what challenges and debates we face ahead.

We look forward to learning. Together.

David Newman
Director, Sustainability

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