Our approach to sustainable packaging
According to an independent survey of lab managers, 60% of labs are taking action to improve their waste management techniques.1 At Agilent, we’re helping our customers meet this goal by continuously improving and optimizing the sustainability of our product packaging—from reducing the use of plastics to making it easier to recycle packaging.
Agilent product designers, process engineers, and product managers are working to identify and evaluate ways to make our packaging more sustainable, focusing on the following key strategies:
Optimizing packaging design
Using correctly sized packaging to minimize the size and volume of materials used and eliminating unnecessary packaging.
Sourcing sustainable materials
Maximizing the use of recycled and sustainably sourced renewable content, enhancing material health by removing priority chemicals and other restricted packaging content, and eliminating single-use plastic materials.
Supporting recycling
Designing packaging that is easy to recycle, incorporates recycled content, and improves customer communication on packaging recyclability.
The progress we’ve made in recent years cuts across a wide range of Agilent products. Below are a few examples that illustrate our approach and impact. See more in our annual corporate responsibility and ESG reports.
Replacing foam packing material with paper
We have replaced popcorn and foam fillers with kraft paper in most of our logistics and manufacturing facilities, resulting in a substantial reduction of 240 kg (529 lb) of plastic-based material annually. Kraft paper is a sustainable product made from wood pulp. It’s also strong, durable, and highly effective in protecting products in transit.
Providing recycling instructions on packaging
We are continuing to add recycling instructions to our packaging where possible, giving our customers the information they need to dispose of our packaging responsibly. We use How2Recycle®, a widely used, standardized labeling system that clearly communicates recycling instructions, removing the guesswork and increasing the likelihood that more packaging material will be recycled and reused.
Redesigning existing product packaging for sustainability
We are continuously assessing ways to improve the sustainability of our packaging while ensuring it provides effective protection during shipping and is easy for our customers to use. Below are a few examples.
LC analytical and semi-prep columns |
LC analytical and semi-prep columns |
EasiVial |
EasiVial |
EasiCal |
EasiCal |
J&W packed GC columns and J&W GC products |
J&W packed GC Column image 
Both J&W products images |
Gas Clean |
Gas Clean |
Advanced Dilution System ADS 2 |
Box content 
Outer box artwork 
How2Recycle logo |
5500a FTIR Flow Cell |
5500a FTIR Flow Cell |
Do you have packaging suggestions? We want to hear from you!
Customer feedback is essential to the success of our sustainable packaging initiatives. If you have suggestions on how we can improve our packaging, please contact us.
Please note that customers may still receive older packaging until the transition to new packaging is complete.
1Agilent Independent Global Lab Sustainability Survey Sheds Light on Progress Towards Greener Labs
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