Design for Sustainability
Innovation is a driver for sustainability at Merck Millipore as we apply our scientific expertise and ingenuity to the pursuit of sustainable solutions and new product innovations. Design for Sustainability is an approach to product development that builds on our close relationships with customers to jointly identify and address sustainability challenges associated with the products they need to deliver life-saving healthcare solutions.
Our Design for Sustainability program includes:
- Product evaluations in each business unit according to a detailed assessment and scorecard to measure our product performance.
- Training and awareness communications to our engineers, designers and product managers to continue building our knowledge capacity internally.
- Support to our customers as a partner and a resource in devising sustainable solutions.
Materials
For most of our products, materials selection and consistency is critical to our customers, and all materials we use must meet high quality and performance standards. Most of our products call for virgin-grade plastic due to the nature of their use and the need to prevent leaching and potential product contamination. This presents a challenge in using recycled-content materials.
Wherever possible, we evaluate the use of bioplastics. The EcoStand® tube holder, for example, is made of corn-based resin. Compared to traditional plastic, the use of bioplastic reduces non-renewable energy use and GHG emissions. Please view our online catalogue to purchase your EcoStand tube holder.
Worldwide, regulations are increasingly restricting the use of materials and chemicals in some products. In the European Union, the Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) Directive restricts materials (such as lead and cadmium) that can be used in electronic products sold in Europe. Although EMD Millipore’s electronic products, including systems for purifying and monitoring lab water, are currently exempted from RoHS, we continue to explore ways to eliminate the use in our products of substances covered by this regulation. We have also met all registration requirements related to the Registration, Evaluation and Authorization of Chemicals (REACH), a directive from the European Commission related to controlling and restricting chemical use.