Biacore™ systems are now ACT labelled—reinforcing our commitment to sustainability. This article describes key highlights from the ACT analysis.
Unleashing the power of product life cycle for maximum impact
ACT, which stands for accountability, consistency, and transparency, is an eco-nutrition label for laboratory products. These labels provide information about the environmental impact of manufacturing, usage, and disposal of a product and its packaging. The ACT label certification process involves third-party validation of the environmental impacts of a product, its operations, and end of life. Data is independently audited by Sustainability Made Simple and verified and published by My Green Lab. We chose to certify Biacore™ 8 series with the ACT label so customers can compare our systems with other analytical technologies. It also provides a baseline for our efforts to improve the sustainability of our products.
The resulting scores range from 20.6 – 28.7 depending on distribution region (Fig 1). This article contains some highlights from the ACT analysis.
Fig 1. Biacore system ACT Label
Raw materials
Biacore 8 series system was developed to increase operational efficiency, improve instrument robustness, and reduce material consumption.
The redesign of the pump and sample cooling system allowed for a remarkable 60% dematerialization.
Cytiva continues to improve product development with the aim to minimize environmental impact. Biacore systems contain no substances of very high concern (SVHC) as defined by the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) and is compliant with The Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive.
Manufacturing
The manufacturing site for Biacore SPR systems in Umea, Sweden uses 100% renewable wind energy, has reduced its energy and water consumption in the last 5 years, and received a top score from ACT for their responsible chemical management practices.
Distribution
Cytiva continues to pursue recycled packaging content, Forest Stewardship Council certified wood, and to reduce the overall amount of material necessary to ship our products. Biacore SPR systems are validated to ship via truck, train, or boat which can drastically reduce CO2 from the supply chain up to 97% versus flight transport.
Use and end-of-life
When usage of installed Biacore systems is reviewed, we see that most are used for as long as 20 years.
Repairing an existing system is less resource intensive than manufacturing a new one, so Cytiva has a remanufacturing program where old instruments have all wear and tear parts replaced. The repaired Biacore system is then tested versus a new system to verify it’s working properly.
Biacore systems have a digital WEEE passport to assist recyclers once they reach end-of-life. The passport contains detailed information on what materials and components are used in the device so it can be recycled effectively and valuable resources can be retained.
