The first-ever antibody to achieve ACT label designation, ZooMAb® antibodies received the lowest Environmental Impact Factor (EIF) scores in the chemicals and reagents category.

Merck, a leading science and technology company, announced that its Life Science business sector earned an Accountability, Consistency and Transparency (ACT) label for its ZooMAb® recombinant antibodies platform from My Green Lab, a non-profit organization dedicated to creating a culture of sustainability in science.

The first-ever antibody to achieve ACT label designation, ZooMAb®antibodies received the lowest Environmental Impact Factor (EIF) scores in the chemicals and reagents category­.

The ZooMAb® antibodies product portfolio delivers a sustainable innovation to our customers as part of the company’s goal of achieving human progress for more than one billion people through sustainable science and technology by the year 2030.

“Helping our customers and suppliers to reduce their impact on the environment is a key part of our sustainability strategy,” said Jeffrey Whitford, Head of Sustainability and Social Business Innovation, Life Science business sector of Merck. “By showing how products rate in different categories, such as manufacturing; energy and water use; packaging; and end-of-life, the ACT label gives scientists another data point to help increase their sustainability. We are proud to be part of this program and achieve one of the top-ranking EIF scores for our ZooMAb® antibodies.”

Unlike traditional monoclonal antibodies, or mAbs, made from identical immune cells from an animal-sourced parent cell, ZooMAb® antibodies use recombinant technology. This offers an endless and consistent supply while reducing the use of animals in research. 

ZooMAb® antibodies can be shipped at room temperature and then stored between 2°C and 8°C, while traditional mAbs must be shipped and stored between 2°C and 8°C, eliminating the need for specially insulated, ice-cooled containers that contribute to high packaging material consumption and transport emissions. Shipping ZooMAb® antibodies, which weigh 2.5 g or about as heavy as a penny, at room temperature allows for more opportunities to eventually ship the product in much smaller packaging, preventing the emission of around 175 metric tons of CO2 per year by 2025. 

In addition to innovation and packaging, the following factors contributed to the low EIF score:

The manufacturing facility where the ZooMAb® antibodies are produced has implemented energy, water, and waste reduction measures; procured renewable energy from a wind farm; and has an environmental management system program that is ISO 14001 certified. 
ZooMAb® antibodies do not contain any Red List chemicals, CMRs, PBTs, or GreenScreen Benchmark-1 chemicals.

About Merck

Merck, a leading science and technology company, operates across healthcare, life science and electronics. Around 60,000 employees work to make a positive difference to millions of people’s lives every day by creating more joyful and sustainable ways to live. From advancing gene editing technologies and discovering unique ways to treat the most challenging diseases to enabling the intelligence of devices – the company is everywhere. In 2021, Merck generated sales of € 19.7 billion in 66 countries.

Scientific exploration and responsible entrepreneurship have been key to Merck’s technological and scientific advances. This is how Merck has thrived since its founding in 1668. The founding family remains the majority owner of the publicly listed company. Merck holds the global rights to the Merck name and brand. The only exceptions are the United States and Canada, where the business sectors of Merck operate as EMD Serono in healthcare, MilliporeSigma in life science, and EMD Electronics.

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About My Green Lab

My Green Lab® is a non-profit environmental organization with a mission to build a global culture of sustainability in science. The organization is the world leader in developing internationally recognized sustainability standards for laboratories and laboratory products—bringing sustainability to the community responsible for the world's life-changing medical and technical innovations. Laboratories are some of the most resource-intensive spaces in any industry, but they don't have to be. By introducing a new perspective and proven best practices within a carefully crafted framework, My Green Lab has inspired tens of thousands of scientists and lab professionals to make positive changes in their labs by reducing the environmental impact of their work.

My Green Lab Certification is the global gold standard for laboratory sustainability best practices and the cornerstone of My Green Lab’s mission to build a global culture of sustainability in science. Selected as a key indicator of progress for the UNFCCC High-Level Climate Champion’s 2030 Breakthrough campaign, the program covers fourteen topics including energy, water, waste, chemistry/materials, and engagement. It provides both scientists and the teams that support laboratories with actionable strategies to make real and impactful environmental changes. To date, My Green Lab has supported over 700 labs worldwide, engaging over 5,000 scientists from 30 different countries.

The ACT® Environmental Impact Factor Label is the world’s premier eco-label for laboratory products. The ACT program ensures Accountability, Consistency, and Transparency in the reporting of environmental impact data in order to enable sustainable laboratory procurement. It was designed by both scientists and procurement specialists to provide clear, third-party verified information about the sustainability profile of laboratory products. By providing needed transparency around manufacturing, energy and water use, packaging, and end-of-life impacts, ACT makes it easy to choose environmentally preferable products and to reduce the carbon impact of laboratory supply chains.