Corning is paving the way for cleaner air, cleaner water, and healthier generations to come. For Corning Life Sciences this means bringing science to life sustainably and moving forward in our three focus areas – climate initiative, design for sustainability, and stewardship.
Corning EcoChoice™
Corning's EcoChoice products adhere to US FTC Guidelines, embodying environmentally friendly practices, traceable sustainability claims, and specific criteria like recycled content, source reduction, intensification, renewable energy use, and certifications.
Climate Initiatives
Learn More: Climate InitiativesProtecting the environment and mitigating negative impacts related to climate change make good business sense and are the right things to do. Taking the initiative today clears the way for a prosperous future.
Design for Sustainability
Learn More: Design for SustainabilityCorning teams are actively seeking to lower the environmental footprint of our products and packaging – whether enabling the next wave of medical breakthroughs or revolutionizing the pharmaceutical glass packaging industry.
Stewardship
Learn More: StewardshipWe believe that end-of-life recycling opportunities are an important enabler for a cleaner environment and the wise use of material resources. Join us in our efforts to divert packaging waste from landfills and minimize the emissions associated with product incineration.
“For us, bringing science to life sustainably means embedding it in all we do. From the way we manage our operations, to the way we design and package our products, to the community of partners we’re building around the world; Corning is committed to making a growing impact.”
Energy Management
Corning achieved the ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year award 2014-2024, and the Sustained Excellence designation of the award 2016-2024.
Partner of the Year is the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's highest recognition. The Sustained Excellence designation of the award is reserved for companies achieving Partner of the Year several years in a row, and for those making constant improvements to their energy management programs.
In 2020, Corning announced that eight more of its global manufacturing facilities have recently reduced energy intensity by an average of 13.2%, meeting or exceeding the goals set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® Challenge for Industry. To meet the challenge, industrial sites must each increase energy efficiency by at least 10% in five years or less.
Frequently Asked Questions
View a PDF version here
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What is a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)?
Life Cycle Assessments help to quantify the environmental impact throughout the entire life cycle of a product, from sourcing raw materials and manufacturing to distribution/ transportation, product use, and eventually, disposal. As Corning focuses on designing products for sustainability, we are looking to reduce our environmental footprint across the board.
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Does Corning have publicly available LCA information?
Currently, the available LCA data pertains to Corning® Viridian® Vials. We are working diligently to provide data transparency for our Life Sciences products.
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Does Corning have a sustainable product program?
Yes. Corning EcoChoice™ products adhere to US FTC Guidelines, embodying environmentally friendly practices, traceable sustainability claims, and specific criteria like recycled content, source reduction, efficiency, renewable energy use, and certifications.
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Does Corning have Science Based Target initiative (SBTi) goals?
SBTi has approved Corning’s plans for emission reduction goals including:
- Reducing our absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 30% by 2028 from a 2021 base year.
- Reducing our absolute Scope 3 GHG emissions, covering purchased goods and services, capital goods, fuel- and energy-related activities, and upstream transportation and distribution by 17.5% by 2028 from a 2021 base year.
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How is Corning promoting energy efficiency across its operations?
Corning Life Sciences has covered 75% of our plants with Environmental Attribute Certificates (EACs) for 2024. This includes 100% coverage for our European manufacturing operations and over 10,000 SKUs, globally. This purchase of renewable energy also helps support our corporate goal to increase renewable energy by 400% by 2030 from 2018 base year.
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Does Corning have an EcoVadis score?
The EcoVadis score (0-100) reflects the quality of a company’s sustainability management system at the time of the assessment*.
In 2022, Corning (at the corporate level) was in the top 15% of EcoVadis assessed companies for excellence in environment, labor and human rights, ethics, and sustainable procurement. We are awaiting our EcoVadis score for 2023 (due by end of August). To request the score from Corning Incorporated use EcoVadis ID UM718706.
*Taken directly from the EcoVadis site.
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Is Corning offering recycling solutions?
Corning Life Sciences currently supports lab product packaging recycling for US-based customers. Details about the program are available at www.corning.com/recycles. We are exploring options for other countries and regions, to include the opportunity for our customers to participate in advanced recycling ecosystems as they become available. Until that time, please direct questions about the recyclability of your packaging to your account representative.
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How do I know what the product packaging is composed of and if it is possible to recycle?
Corning Life Sciences is working to ensure that all packaging is labeled with the appropriate recycling symbols and information. Until that time, please direct questions about the recyclability of your packaging to your account representative.
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Are recycled or reused materials used in product production?
Some Corning Life Sciences products benefit from pre-consumer resin, a process that captures scrap plastics and resins from internal manufacturing for use in product manufacturing; percentages vary depending on the product. In addition, recycled resins are also starting to become available in the market, though availability is currently very low. We are actively working with our suppliers and quality/engineering team to explore the technical viability of recycled resins for future use with our products, while maintaining current product performance. In addition to product, Corning is looking at opportunities to make our packaging more sustainable through incorporation of recycled content or ensuring that the packaging itself is made with recycle ready material.
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What certifications does Corning have related to sustainability?
All Corning Life Science plants are certified or in the process of certification by 2025 as conforming to International Standard ISO 14001. This standard specifies environmental management system requirements, enhances environmental performance, fulfills compliance obligations, and achieves environmental objectives (documentation is available upon request). View the annual ESG report for all additional ratings.
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How can I improve the efficiency of my bioprocess workflow?
Workflow efficiency is a great way to enhance sustainability, and we have products such as the Corning® Elplasia® 12K flask, Corning HYPERStack® vessels, and Corning Ascent® FBR system to minimize your plastic footprint while maximizing your output. Consult with a Corning Field Application Specialist to get help with “right-sizing” each step of your process.
Sustainability Stories
Site Spotlight
Corning Amsterdam Distribution Center
Corning Amsterdam Distribution Center
Corning Life Sciences’ European Distribution Center in Amsterdam was awarded an A++ energy label in 2016, which put the company ahead of the country's 2023 requirement. A geothermal source, rather than natural gas, provides heating and cooling, and a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) array provides over 60% of the site’s energy needs.
Contact Us
Contact Us
Have a sustainability-related question about one of our products? Interested in learning more about what Corning is doing to improve communities across the globe? Reach out!
