Hi Reader, imagine you could tell the exact environmental impact of each item in your lab in just a few seconds.
There is actually an endeavor that might make this a reality.
Today, we talk about the My Green® Lab ACT® Ecolabel.
My Green Lab is supporting, sponsoring and partnering with us and this article! Given our long lasting cooperation, they have provided us with some exclusive information.
So, let’s jump in and discover how the ACT Ecolabel will help you:
Today's Lesson: Exploring A Label For Lab Items
What the ACT Ecolabel is and how it helps you
Number Of The Day
More than 1700 products carry the ACT (Accountability, Consistency, Transparency) Ecolabel. It is the most transparent and coherent communication of the environmental impacts of science products that currently exists. It was introduced in 2017 and received a major update — ACT Ecoloabel 2.0 — this year. So, let’s see what is new and how it will help you make your lab(s) greener in little time:
1700
Understanding The ACT Ecolabel
Imagine you’re purchasing a new piece of lab equipment and want to make the more sustainable choice.
Whether it's a gas chromatograph or a conical tube—the ACT Ecolabel can tell you exactly which product has the smaller environmental footprint.
What Makes the ACT Ecolabel different?
There are several labels and certifications out there, but the ACT Ecolabel is the only one that provides product-level data across multiple environmental categories.
Labels like Energy Star or FSC usually focus on a single domain, such as electricity consumption or forestry. In contrast, certifications like EcoVadis assess entire companies and workflows.
The number of labels and certifications is simply too vast to know or even understand them all. Therefore, having a more comprehensive label such as the ACT Ecolabel is going to be the way ahead.
What makes the ACT Ecolabel so valuable is that it quantifies a product’s environmental impact across multiple categories.
Moreover, unlike company-level certifications, the ACT Ecolabel allows for real product-level differentiation. A company might perform well overall, but that doesn’t mean all its products are designed sustainably. The ACT Ecolabel lets us see that difference.
ACT Ecolabel 2.0 – What’s New?
If you’re already familiar with the original ACT Ecolabel, you’ll be pleased to know that My Green Lab launched its next evolution version this year, ACT Ecolabel 2.0.
Here’s what’s new:
Switch from a 10-point to a 100-point weighted scoring system – higher scores now reflect better environmental performance.
Broader Evaluation Criteria – now includes packaging, manufacturing practices, and company GHG reduction initiatives.
Impact-Focused Scoring – more weight is given to criteria that have greater environmental impact.
Flexible Audit Pathways – manufacturers can tailor certification pathways based on the data they already track.
Supports Product-Level Scope 3 CO2e Reporting – provides product-level CO₂e data to support measuring Scope 3 emissions.
Third-Party Audits – sustainability claims must be independently validated by Verico,
What the ACT EcoLabel Covers
The ACT Ecolabel is available for consumables, reagents/chemicals, and lab equipment, évaluating impact across a product’s life cycle.
Here's a rough breakdown of how those points are distributed:
Product Audit: 23–30 points
Packaging Audit: 4–11 points
Manufacturing Facility Audit: 40 points
Company GHG Reduction Efforts: 17 points
Product Carbon Reporting: 6 points
Sustainability Improvements: 3 points
Innovation: 6 points
These ranges for the first two categories are based on whether the product is a consumable, reagent, or piece of equipment.
We’ve written a short article explaining the scoring nuances in more detail.
My tip: The teams at My Green Lab and Impact Laboratories did a fantastic job explaining everything in a concise and practical way. The EPF score is great for quick comparisons, but looking at the individual categories gives you a more nuanced understanding—and it doesn’t take long.
Click the picture to enlarge. Of note, also an upright version will probably be available in the future.
Another point worth highlighting: ACT Ecolabel 2.0 pushes companies to track their own environmental impacts. This is especially valuable when it comes to Scope 3 emissions—a notoriously difficult metric to quantify, but one that will be essential in the future to understand and improve your lab or institution's footprint.
How Does a Product Receive the ACT Ecolabel?
Here’s how the certification process works:
Kick-off & Data Collection Verico, an independent auditor, performs a desktop audit using data provided by the manufacturer.
Label Creation & Reporting Verico reviews submitted data and My Green Lab issues the ACT Ecolabel.
Label Issued The verified label is published by My Green Lab.
Ongoing Support Includes marketing assistance and a mandatory 2-year renewal cycle to ensure continued progress.
This last point is important—companies are required to re-certify every two years, which helps ensure that sustainability isn’t a one-time effort but an ongoing process.
Applying The Knowledge
Given than +1,700 products carry an ACT Ecolabel, it is already a useful tool—and it is only going to become more relevant.
To explore the labels for your items, check out the searchable ACT Ecolabel database.
Now, a quick heads up: Some vendors use their own labels to indicate greener products.
You should understand them as a differentiator within a single vendors inventory.
In contrast to the ACT Ecolabel, it is often not right away apparent what these labels indicate or wether they are in any sense third-party verified although they must align with state regulations.
On top, the ACT Ecolabel. Below, from left to right, the labels from QIAGEN, ThermoFisher, and Corning. The ACT Ecolabel provides quantified data for each labeled product, whereas the other labels often suggest that a product is, in any way, designed to be more sustainable.
In our opinion, the ACT Ecolabel is preferable – why?
It is a statement that a company invests the effort to quantify the impact of their products and openly communicates it. It strengthens their market position by providing the data we seek. A win-win.
The ACT Ecolabel continues to evolve, e.g., it does not currently assess reusability or reagent consumption.
However, it is third-party desktop verified, product specific and quantitative - in other words, the most comprehensive tool for comparing lab product sustainability scientists can use. Therefore, click here and dive in!
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