EMD Millipore, the life science business of Merck KGaA of Darmstadt, Germany, partners with Triumvirate Environmental, a full-service environmental firm, on a process that reportedly helps reduce the environmental impact of its products across their life cycles. Triumvirate serves as the exclusive recycling vendor for EMD Millipore's two customer product recycling programs aimed at reducing waste from single-use disposable products used in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and research in the United States. A process developed by Triumvirate ensures 100% recycling of these products, according to EMD Millipore
Through the Triumvirate process, difficult-to-recycle waste material from single-use products is converted into raw materials for the production of industrial-grade plastic lumber at the firm's recycling and production facility in Jeannette, Pennsylvania. Through EMD Millipore's two product recycling programs, the process is expected to divert 840 tons of waste from landfills or incineration over the next year. Currently, Triumvirate is facilitating EMD Millipore's recycling programs for biopharmaceutical customers on the East Coast; eventually its services will be expanded to customers across the U.S.
EMD Millipore's Biopharma Product Recycling Program aims at addressing the unique disposal challenges of single-use products. These challenges include difficult-to-recycle materials and stringent requirements for handling biologically hazardous residues. Since the program was launched in 2012, more than 272 kilograms of single-use plastic products have been collected, diverted from landfill and recycled, according to the company.
EMD Millipore's Ech2o Collection and Recycling Program is designed to reduce the impact of the company's Lab Water purification cartridges, such as the Quantum Cartridge, Q-Gard Cartridge and Progard Cartridge. It enables customers to send their spent cartridges for recycling. More than 300 customers in the U.S. are reportedly taking advantage of the program.
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