At Corning Life Sciences, we create innovative products and technologies that enable our customers to develop and deliver life-saving therapies. But we recognize our planet’s resources are finite and climate change presents a real and growing concern, so we are reimagining product development. By incorporating Design for Sustainability (DfS) into our processes, we are bringing a more environmentally friendly and diverse mindset to our innovation efforts.
Sustainable design applies across the full life cycle of a product, from product development to manufacturing, shipping, and end-of-life.
How do we do it?
Sustainable design now for less waste in the future.
Materials
- Material reduction
- Renewable and recycled materials
- Diverse supply chain
- Sustainable packaging
Process
- Energy efficiency
- Renewable energy
- Water conservation
- Waste reduction
End-of-Life
- Design with the end in mind
- Practice and promote circularity
- Educate and facilitate reuse or recycling
Corning EcoChoice™
Corning EcoChoice products are produced, packaged, and/or distributed in an environmentally friendly manner following United States FTC Guidelines. This means that all product sustainability statements are specific, evidence-based, and traceable.
Corning products included in the Corning EcoChoice program meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Recycled content (pre-consumer or post-consumer)
- Source reduction
- Intensification: products designed to enable greater cell production in a smaller footprint, resulting in less plastic per unit of output
- Environmental Attribute Certificates (EACs)
To learn more about these products, visit the complete Corning EcoChoice product listing or contact your Corning Account Manager
Corning EcoChoice products are produced, packaged, and/or distributed in an environmentally friendly manner following United States FTC Guidelines. This means that all product sustainability statements are specific, evidence-based, and traceable.
Corning products included in the Corning EcoChoice program meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Recycled content (pre-consumer or post-consumer)
- Source reduction
- Intensification: products designed to enable greater cell production in a smaller footprint, resulting in less plastic per unit of output
- Environmental Attribute Certificates (EACs)
To learn more about these products, visit the complete Corning EcoChoice product listing or contact your Corning Account Manager
Materials
Flask Redesign
: Flask RedesignOur design efforts are not only geared towards innovation, but also minimizing product waste. For example, our 75 cm2 Corning Cell Culture Flask was redesigned to reduce product plastic by 23%. The new rounded shoulders of the flask also allow for easier laboratory usage, making it a win for both scientists and the environment.
Intensification
Learn More: IntensificationInnovation and intensifying production can help reduce the plastic footprint of laboratory practices for more sustainability, efficiency, and cost savings.
Media Bottle Packaging
: Media Bottle PackagingCorning Media Bottles packaging cases have replaced packing peanuts with recyclable Kraft paper, increasing recycle-ready material in our packaging across 250 product SKUs and avoiding ~2300 cubic feet of packing peanuts going to landfill per year.
Process
Water Recirculation
: Water RecirculationA water reduction project in Vineland, NJ is projected to save at least 9 million gallons of water annually. Currently, cold water is used to cool water that is too hot to pour down the drain. By installing an air cooler, they are bringing the temperature down quicker and eliminating extra water usage.
Energy Efficiency in Product Production
: Energy Efficiency in Product ProductionEnergy efficiency is part of the Corning culture, and Corning Life Sciences has achieved the ENERGY STAR Challenge for Industry – a > 10% reduction in energy intensity in five years or less - at least once in 90% of our manufacturing facilities.
Renewable Energy in Product Production
Learn More: Renewable Energy in Product ProductionThousands of Corning Life Science products are 100% covered by renewable energy through a combination of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from on-site solar, large Corning-sponsored offsite virtual Purchase Power Agreement projects, unbundled market RECs and Guarantees of Origin.
Corning® Elplasia® 12K Flask
: Corning® Elplasia® 12K Flask“Designing for sustainability means looking at our innovations from conception to launch to see how we can decrease waste and energy use,” said Gail Pentheny, innovation manager, CLS Division Engineering. One example is our Corning Elplasia Flasks, a product for growing spheroids at scale that requires less material and leverages more energy-efficient manufacturing processes compared to standard molding and assembly – and requires less supporting material, such as media needed for spheroid growth, during customer use.
End-of-Life
Sustainable Pallet Program
: Sustainable Pallet ProgramThe Corning Pharmaceutical Technologies Sustainable Pallet Program uses FSC-certified material and minimizes avoidable pallet waste. About 40% of the pallets are returned each month to be reused 4-8 times, depending on pallet type and specification.
Glass Reuse
: Glass ReuseGlass reuse is an important part of the manufacturing process at Corning’s Vineland, NJ plant. Glass tubing produced in Vineland contains 20-30% post-industrial recycled glass cullet.
Roller Bottles
: Roller BottlesTypically, roller bottles are produced using ink to mark the volume on the bottles, making the product ineligible for recycling. Graduations on Corning Polystyrene Roller Bottles are now laser etched, making over 35 metric tons of plastic to be recycled. That’s the same weight as a fully loaded 18-wheeler truck.
