Solving the toughest problems in Life Science
We think responsibly and act in terms of generations instead of quarters, believing in the long-term impact on our clients and products. We take an active role in shaping the future.
This spirit underpins our sustainable success. We take an active role in shaping the future through our products and technologies, enabling brilliant people to solve global challenges.
Be sure to keep an eye out for the flagship icon to learn about our proprietary efforts and programs helping to drive sustainable business success.
We focus our strengths on those areas where we can have the greatest impact and continuously seek to hone our competitive edge while working to sustainably secure our future.
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Sustainable
operations -
As a global organization with more than 300,000 products and 21,000 employees across more than 60 countries, we understand the importance of managing the environmental impacts of our own operations. Leveraging an integrated 360-degree global environmental management system for our facilities, we have built KPIs related to emissions, energy consumption, water usage and waste generation to help guide our decisions and target our investments to reach the next level of sustainability.
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Greener Products
& Solutions -
We actively integrate a focus on sustainability throughout all phases of the product life cycle—from design and manufacturing to packaging, distribution and recycling—so that our products offer customers the highest performance in innovation, quality, safety and effectiveness.
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Employee & Community
Engagement -
We are committed to accelerating access to health for people everywhere, while sparking curiosity in the next generation of scientists. We accomplish this by making philanthropic investments in the areas of scientific research and science education. Simultaneously, we harness the diverse talents and expertise of our employees, allowing them to give back to the communities in which they live and work through SPARK™, our global skills-based volunteer program. In addition, we are turning scientific inquisitiveness into action via Curiosity Labs™ and the Curiosity Cube®, our proprietary programs that bring hands-on, interactive science lessons to students around the world.
Curiosity
Cube®
tours North America
to #SPARKCuriosity
Mobile lab brings
hands-on science to students
Goals & Progress
Life Science Corporate Responsibility Goals
WASTE
0% Complete
- Achieve 5% reduction in Waste Score from 2016 baseline of 423
- Progress to date: The Waste Score increased 1.4% to 429
- The Waste Score is a metric which measures a site's waste diversion practices, and encourages increased recycling and discourages landfilling
EMISSIONS
0% Complete
- Goal by 2020: Attain 20% absolute reduction from 2006 baseline
- Progress to date: 22% reduction at Life Science—110% complete
WATER
0% Complete
Sutainable Water
Management—70% complete
- Goal by 2020: Implement a sustainable water management system at sites with water consumption greater than 30,000 cubic meters per year
- Progress to date: In progress—30% complete
Water Consumption—100% Complete
- Goal by 2020: Reduce water consumption by 10% from 2014 baseline at sites in water-stressed areas that are consuming more than 30,000 cubic meters per year
- Progress to date: Complete—only applied to Kankakee Life Science site
SMASH
0% Complete
- Goal by 2022: Complete our SMASH Packaging Plan
- Progress to date: Implemented 2018
GREENER ALTERNATIVE
PRODUCTS
0% Complete
- Goal by 2023: Grow portfolio by 10% annually for next five years. Baseline 700 Products
- Progress to date: Implemented 2018
GREENING THE
LABORATORY
0% Complete
- Goal by 2023: Increase adoption and implementation to an additional 15 major accounts
- Progress to date: Implemented 2018
ECH2O CARTRIDGE
RECYCLING
0% Complete
- Progress to date: In progress—23% complete
BIOPHARMA
RECYCLING
0% Complete
- Goal by 2023: 5,000 tons recycled per year
- Progress to date: In progess—26% complete
EMPLOYEE VOLUNTEERISM
0% Complete
- Goal by 2023: 168,000 volunteer hours and 6,000 employees in 36+ countries
- Progress to date: Implemented 2018
SCIENCE
EDUCATION
0% Complete
- Goal by 2023: 66,500 students engaged and 36+ countries reached
- Progress to date: Implemented 2018
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“We have realized the greatest impact comes not from just within our own walls, but in enabling our millions of customers in more than 160 countries to accelerate the impact sustainability can have globally.”
Jeffrey Whitford
HEAD OF CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
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“To us, streamlined operations means producing top-quality products in the most efficient way possible, with minimal use of energy, water and waste. We are working towards a future in which the ‘waste’ of one process can be the raw material input for another process.”
Christopher Famolare
EIT, CEM, CEA, Global Manager of Sustainable Operations
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“Through our industry-first recycling programs, we’re tackling the challenging waste stream of single-use plastics and offering an end-of-life solution for our plastic products. As a result, we empower customers to contribute to a circular economy and reduce their own environmental footprint.”
Jacqueline Hollands
global manager, customer sustainability solutions
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“It’s incredible to see first-hand how the interactive science experiments inside our Curiosity Cube© mobile science lab can positively impact students’ lives-uncovering ‘aha!’ moments and helping them see what possibilities lie ahead.”
Natalie Randolph
Curiosity Cube® coordinator
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“To make the greatest impact in our communities around the world, we tap the passion of our employees and partner with organizations who share our drive to support the scientists of today and tomorrow.”
Melissa Hackmeier
head of employee and community engagement
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“Our employee and community engagement strategy connects the heart, hands, and expertise of our global employees with the know-how of local organizations to inspire scientific solutions for future generations.”
Annie Mayrose
Business Partner, Corporate Responsibility, Employee & Community Engagement
Explore Programs
Around The Globe
Click on the interactive map below to learn more about our Corporate Responsibility initiatives around the world, including how we are supporting scientific research and science education in communities in which we operate.
- Sustainable operations
- GREENER PRODUCTS &
SOLUTIONS - Employee & Community
engagement
Swipe left or right to view additional programs and details
tap to dismiss
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Orpheum Children's Science Museum
Champaign, Illinois, U.S.
Through our partnership, we provide support to help inspire, engage, and educates diverse children of all ages through the exploration of science and art.
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Scientists in School
Pickering, Ontario, Canada
Scientists in School is dedicated to sparking children’s interest in STEM through unique half-day, hands-on workshops. Our employees volunteer to assemble science kits for the workshops. The organization reaches over 700,000 children and youth per year in underprivileged schools across 345 communities in Ontario and Alberta.
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
I Wish STEM Company Limited by Guarantee
Cork, Ireland
We partner to inspire and encourage transition year female students to consider a career in STEM. Our employees volunteer at the organization’s dynamic events, which feature a conference, interactive showcase exhibitions, Entrepreneur Zone and Teach It Zone.
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)
Heidlberg, Germany
We sponsor European Researchers` Night, EMBL’s flagship initiative of the European Commission to bridge science and society and to attract young people to pursue research careers. The event involves over 300 cities from more than 30 countries in Europe and beyond.
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Japan Science Foundation
Tokyo, Japan
We partner to support the national competition of the Japan Biology Olympiad for high school students, which sends the Japanese delegation to the International Biology Olympiad.
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Le Vaisseau
Strasbourg, France
Through our partnership with the science center, we support an exhibit that provides a fun and original way of understanding the scientific phenomena related to light through sensory experiences.
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Stiftung zur Förderung der TUHH – Kinderforscher
Hamburg, Germany
Our partnership supports the next generation of STEM-students by bringing schools, university and companies together to excite and encourage students between 8-18 years of age to choose Science, Technology Engineering and/or Math (STEM) as their future career.
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinologicas
Buenas Aires, Argentina
Through our partnership, we support scientific research on growth deficiency.
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Programa Adopte un Talento AC
Mexico City, Mexico
We support Programa Adopte un Talento AC to boost talent for mathematics and science in children and young people through workshops, courses and activities for themselves, their parents and their teachers.
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Girlstart
Austin, Texas, U.S.
We partner with Girlstart, a community-based informal STEM education organization dedicated to empowering and equipping girls in STEM through year-round educational programming. Our employees volunteer during STEM camps and the annual STEM conference.
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Curiosity Labs™
St. Louis, Missouri and Globally
Using the Next Generation Science Standards, our Curiosity Labs™ program takes employees into classrooms to engage students with hands-on inquiry and apply scientific concepts to “real-world” settings in schools around the world.
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
STEMpact
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
We are a founding member of STEMpact, a collaborative effort of corporations, universities, community organizations and schools that aims to transform the STEM education ecosystem to prepare tomorrow’s professionals and to ensure the vitality of the region’s economy.
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
St. Louis Children’s Hospital
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
We support the St. Louis Children’s Hospital through an endowment fund at the Children’s Discovery Institute (CDI), a world-class center for pediatric research and innovation created to encourage researchers to ask bold questions and to take bolder risks to uncover answers.
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
SPARK
Darmstadt, Hessen, Germany
On March 6, 2016, we launched SPARK—a global skills-based volunteer program that provides community service opportunities for our network of nearly 19,000 life science employees, with a focus on science and education.
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Local Universities
Munich, Bavaria, Germany
We collaborate with local universities through monetary and product donations. Additionally, our employees guest lecture on the broad range of topics in science.
EMPLOYEE & COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Local Schools
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Our employees also travel to local schools and community events to host STEM demonstrations and discuss the amazing benefits a career in science offers, for both them and the world. We also partner with local universities to guest lecture and provide facility tours.
GREENER PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS
Greener Cooler
Allentown, Pennsylvania, U.S.
We continuously work to improve sustainability of our packaging. Our packaging, distribution, procurement and quality teams have collaborated to identify, test, and implement a greener cooler for the shipment of our temperature-controlled products. Made of paper and starch, it is certified recyclable alongside other paper-based and corrugated products.
GREENER PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS
3D Printing
Berkeley, California, U.S.
When you think greener, you don’t think petroleum. Neither do we, which is why we are partnering with the University of California, Berkeley and software developer Autodesk to develop a greener alternative resin for the 3D printing industry, as opposed to current petroleum-based products.
GREENER PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS
DOZN™
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
We launched another one of our industry-firsts: DOZN™, a proprietary breakthrough scoring system based on the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry.
GREENER PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS
EZ-Fit™ Manifold
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
We redesigned EZ-Fit™
GREENER PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS
Polystyrene Cooler Return
Billerica, Massachusetts, U.S.
Next comes waste reduction, a feat accomplished as we offer U.S. customers a polystyrene cooler return program that is diverting approximately 20,000 coolers from landfills and incineration each year—significantly decreasing the amount of waste sent to landfills and the carbon footprint over the life cycle of a cooler.
GREENER PRODUCTS & SOLUTIONS
Biopharma Recycling
Billerica, Massachusetts, U.S.
Our first-of-its-kind Biopharma Recycling program in partnership with Triumvirate Environmental turns product materials— single-use bags, tubing and connectors, cartridge and capsule filters, and empty chemical containers and drums—into industrial-grade plastic lumber products such as speed bumps and parking blocks. Through this program, we’ve been able to help customers reduce their solid waste by as much as 50 percent.
SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS
Renewable Energy
Burlington, Massachusetts, U.S.
We deploy renewable energy technologies at sites across the globe, producing clean electricity to power our site and lower greenhouse gas emissions
SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS
Sustainable Buildings
Jaffrey, New Hampshire, U.S.
At this state-of-the-art Biomass Central Heat Plant, we utilize a renewable feedstock to offset the consumption of more than 400,000 gallons of oil per year.
SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS
EDISON
Darmstadt, Hessen, Germany
Through EDISON, our proprietary climate impact mitigation program, we have a unified system across our facilities worldwide to benchmark energy conservation and greenhouse gas emissions against targets and guide how we invest to reach the next level of sustainability.
SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS
Green Buildings
Bangalore, Karnataka, India
Our LEED Gold facility in Bangalore, India utilizes a facade and window boxes to minimize heat gain and, in turn, reduce the demand for air-conditioning. Fly ash bricks and under-deck insulation also improve building performance. These key features coupled with other design elements allow for an energy consumption that is 11 percent lower when compared to a standard building.
SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS
EV Charging
Temecula, California, USA
We provide workplace electric vehicle charging at our sites around the globe. To date, we have installed 68 electric vehicle charging ports which can be used by employees and visitors free of cost at most locations.
SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS
Swiss Science Center Technorama
Buchs, Switzerland
Through our partnership, we supported the development of a fully equipped, state-of-the-art wet lab, reaching more than 70,000 visitors annually and providing science-focused professional development for teachers. Our employees also collaborate with Technorama staff to develop new lessons for our innovative Curiosity Labs™ program
SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS
Seeding Labs
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
We provide in-kind donations of lab equipment, training and support to scientists in developing countries. We are the exclusive sponsor of Seeding Labs’ TeleScience online platform, which is designed to accelerate teaching and research for thousands of scientists around the world through educational videos created and led by our employees.
SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS
BioSTL
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
BioSTL advances St. Louis' bioscience and innovation ecosystem. Through our partnership, our employees serve as mentors to startups in problem-solving, and we promote diversity, inclusion and equity by providing science education opportunities to female and minority students from local middle and high schools.
SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS
KIPP St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
We partner with KIPP St. Louis to help expand and strengthen the middle school science lab infrastructure and program, as well as increase access to professional development, field trips and equipment.
SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS
Sustainability Incentive Programs
St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.
In the U.S., we offer incentives to employees who install a solar photovoltaic or solar hot water system, conduct a home energy audit, or purchase or lease a hybrid or an electric vehicle.
SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS
Chemistry on the Go
Taiwan
Our partnership with Tamkang University supports mobile science labs—reaching more than 60,000 students annually. Employees in Taiwan provide guidance on experiment development and a structured professional development program for teachers.
SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS
Discovery World
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
Our partnership supports the science and technology center and the development of the "MilliporeSigma Virtual Explorer," an exhibit that allows visitors to easily explore various science concepts using Virtual Reality (VR) technologies. Employees assist with core scientific principles and engage thousands of students during Merck Science Days.
News & Resources
Whether we’re introducing products that enable groundbreaking scientific research or announcing partnerships that support science education, we always have something going on. Here’s some of our recent press releases and coverage.
Press Release
MilliporeSigma Brings Science Education to Students Across North America With Curiosity Cube® Mobile Science Lab
Learn more
