Environmental Sustainability
Environmental sustainability at Life Technologies is an ongoing process to adapt the way we operate to reduce our environmental footprint. Climate change, resource conservation and waste reduction are key elements of the environmental agenda. We have made substantial ‘green progress’ and have established more aggressive eco-efficiency goals for 2012.
Energy Efficiency
Energy use from manufacturing, cold storage and information technology infrastructure is our most critical environmental impact. Energy savings projects resulted in a 32% reduction in energy consumption since 2004.
Completed Projects:
Replaced inefficient lighting with fluorescent lighting: Carlsbad, Calif.
- Energy Consumption Down 10%
- Carbon Dioxide Down 700 tons
Installed timers/motion sensors on air conditioners and lighting: Singapore
- Energy Consumption Down 3.7%
- Carbon Dioxide Down 52 tons
Goal: Reduce energy consumption by 25% by 2012.
Climate Change
The most challenging global issue of our time, climate change will dramatically impact the planet billions of people call home. Taking action to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases that increase the earth’s temperature is a core element of our environmental sustainability program. Life Technologies has reduced its CO2 emissions by 36% from our 2004 baseline.
Completed Projects:
Hydroelectric power installed at Grand Island, New York facility.
Solar panels installed in Pleasanton, Calif.
- These two projects eliminated 100 tons of carbon dioxide.
Goal: Reduce CO2 emissions by 25% by 2012.
Water Conservation
Water is critical to sustaining life. Therefore, we strive to improve our overall efficiency in water use. All of our consumable products use water, whether mixing or diluting active ingredients, or cleaning and washing equipment used to manufacture them. We strive to reduce and reuse water in our manufacturing, support utilities, landscaping and sanitation processes. From 2004 to 2008, we realized a 10% reduction in water use.
Completed Projects:
Landscaping water in Carlsbad switched to recycled water
- Saves 700,000 gallons of clean, potable water per month.
New manufacturing cleaning procedure in Grand Island
- Saves 100,000 gallons of hot water per year.
Goal: Reduce water usage 25% in 2012.
Waste Disposal
Our waste is related to the materials we use and dispose of when we manufacture products. By eliminating waste, we not only help the environment, but we also reduce our operating costs. Life technologies decreased its hazardous waste disposal by 16% since 2004.
Completed Projects:
Organic solvents make up the largest hazardous waste stream. Because of its high Btu value (energy content), over 90% of this waste is recycled into fuel that fires cement kilns.
Goal: Reduce hazardous waste disposal by 25% in 2012
