Greener Products and Solutions

My Green Lab is pleased to announce the launch of ACT, the first environmental impact factor label for laboratory products. ACT (accountability, consistency, transparency) is designed to provide critical information on the environmental impact of laboratory products.

MilliporeSigma created a unique, web-based greener alternative scoring matrix, also known as DOZN™: a quantitative green chemistry evaluator based on the 12 principles of green chemistry. The 12 principles of green chemistry provide a framework for learning about green chemistry and designing or improving materials, products, processes and systems. DOZN™ scores products based on metrics for each principle and aggregates the principle scores to derive a final aggregate score. The system calculates scores based on manufacturing inputs, Globally Harmonized System (GHS) and Safety Data Sheet (SDS) information, which provide a green score for each substance. DOZN™ is flexible enough to encompass the diverse portfolio of products, ranging from chemistry to biology-based products.

We often think of chemicals as highly toxic materials that could even prove lethal. But chemistry is everywhere and we rely on it for everything we need in daily life, from the ink in our pens to the actual food we eat. It is an integral part of our routines and industrial processes. As such, chemicals also need a green overhaul as they can be aggressive to the planet and animal lives, and must be replaced with safer alternatives.

Our approach to evaluating greener chemicals is based on the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry. We recognize that these principles distill into three major categories: improving resource use, more efficient use of energy, and minimizing human and environmental hazards.

Companies are interested in improving chemicals to reduce environmental impacts, also known as green chemistry. A new publication in ACS Sustainable discusses the 12 principles of green chemistry that outline a framework for identifying a greener chemical or process, spanning aspects in health hazard, ecological risk, and resource efficiency across a product lifecycle.

Here at Triumvirate Environmental, we work with our partners in environmental, health, and safety to promote environmental protection and sustainable development. Today, we would like to focus on one of our life sciences partners who has gone above and beyond to put a focus on corporate responsibility and recycling, MilliporeSigma. Read below to learn all about MilliporeSigma, single-use technologies, and their role in biopharma recycling.

Last week at the end of the second day of Bio-Based Live Europe, hosted at the University of Amsterdam, the winners of the Bio-Based Innovation Awards (Europe) were announced. The winner of our European Bio-Based Chemical Innovation of the Year 2017 which is Cyrene developed by Mercki, the Chemistry Centre of Excellence at the University of York and Circa Group in response to increasing demand for safer, greener alternatives to PMF and NMP.

One thing I’ve realized over the past seven years working in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is that perception is a powerful thing. When I walked into a room and sat down to talk about what we at MilliporeSigma were doing in CSR, I could script how it would go. In fact, I should have placed bets because I could have retired by now. People anticipated and expected fluff. They did the important “business stuff” and we did “cosmetic stuff.” What does that say about how we think about and execute meaningful work with the power and potential to literally change the world? How are we thinking about bringing meaningful value to the table?

Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany—whose life science business in the U.S. operates as MilliporeSigma—recently published its 2016 Corporate Responsibility Report. Available online at http://reports.emdgroup.com/2016/cr-report/, the report details the company's activities across the globe in health, environment, and culture & education.

At MilliporeSigma, we have fostered a culture of problem solving. I was fortunate to work with our CEO, Udit Batra, to help develop the problem-solving model for our organization. What I find so interesting about the process and the concept is that, at the end of the day, it’s all very simple. We use a simple model to address very complex and tough challenges that not only our organization and our 1 million customers face, but also brilliant scientists and researchers.