At Thermo Fisher Scientific, sustainability is more than a goal. It is part of the company’s commitment to making the world healthier, cleaner and safer. Through practical environmental initiatives and employee engagement, Thermo Fisher Scientific’s north St. Louis County location is turning that commitment into action.
In 2025, the site participated in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, earning recognition at the Leader Level for its sustainability efforts. Through the Challenge, team members took a closer look at their environmental impact and identified opportunities to reduce waste, lower emissions and strengthen their sustainability practices.
One of the first steps was launching a Green Team dedicated to leading environmental initiatives across the site. As part of the Challenge, the team completed a baseline sustainability assessment, which helped identify areas for improvement and establish a roadmap for future progress.
“Joining the Green Business Challenge has heightened our awareness of how we impact the environment,” said Shana Lawson, EHS Manager for Thermo Fisher Scientific. “Conducting the baseline score was eye opening. We thought we were greener than we actually are. Now we have a pathway to move our company towards the corporate goals of zero waste to landfill and reduction in Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions.”
Armed with those insights, the Green Team began implementing simple yet impactful changes throughout daily operations. Employees received reusable Nalgene water bottles to encourage the use of water bottle filling stations, while Styrofoam cups were replaced with paper coffee cups in all breakrooms. The site also launched a pilot recycling program for lab pipette tips and boxes and transitioned from individual office trash bins to a centralized waste collection area that includes single-stream recycling.
These efforts are already making a difference. By tracking and sharing results with company leadership, the Green Team has demonstrated the value of sustainability-focused actions and helped build support for continued environmental improvements.
The site’s commitment to sustainability has also been recognized beyond the Green Business Challenge. During its ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System audit, Thermo Fisher Scientific received positive recognition for maintaining native plantings and participating in Project Clear’s Rainwater Bioretention Program. These initiatives help manage stormwater runoff while supporting a healthier environment and improved regional air quality.
While many of these efforts are relatively new, they reflect values that have long been central to Thermo Fisher Scientific’s culture: innovation, responsibility and continuous improvement. By integrating sustainable practices into everyday operations, the company is creating lasting benefits for its employees, customers and the communities it serves.
For more information about Thermo Fisher Scientific or to get involved in the St. Louis Green Business Challenge, subscribe to the bi-monthly E-Newsletter or visit stlouisgreenchallenge.com. For more on how sustainability connects to air quality, visit the Clean Air Partnership’s website, like us on Facebook or follow us on X @gatewaycleanair.
