Medical device sustainability reflects a broader shift across industries to rethink resource use and minimize environmental impact.
Key opportunities span the entire medical device product life cycle, from raw material sourcing and manufacturing to packaging, distribution and end-of-life management.
For instance, in 2023, BD partnered with Casella to recycle 40,000 pounds of single-use medical devices, turning waste into pellets for manufacturing new products. That same year, Johnson & Johnson announced plans to reduce digital waste by improving energy use in its data centers.
Similarly, in 2024, Brightmark, a global waste solutions company, collaborated with Lewis Salvage, a family-owned recycling firm, to improve the recyclability of healthcare plastics, exploring advanced recycling technologies to address hard-to-recycle materials like medical packaging.
According to EY, integrating circularity into medical device development not only reduces resource consumption but also enhances product lifecycles, making sustainability a cornerstone of innovation in the sector.
The Corporate Knights Global 100 List for 2025 celebrates three standout companies — Biomérieux SA, Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co KGaA and Coloplast A/S — for their leadership in sustainability. Notably, Biomérieux and Coloplast were also recognized on their 2024 list.
From eco-friendly manufacturing to reducing Scope 1 and 2 emissions, these companies are setting new benchmarks for a more responsible and sustainable healthcare future.
Biomérieux SA: Diagnostic Innovation Meets Climate Commitment
Ranked 78th on the Corporate Knights Global 100 List for 2025, Biomérieux, headquartered in Marcy l’Étoile, France, specializes in in vitro diagnostics (IVD), including solutions for infectious diseases, cancer detection and antimicrobial resistance testing. With a carbon productivity of $95,442, the company demonstrates efficiency in balancing economic growth with environmental responsibility.
Biomérieux has aligned with the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi), committing to the 1.5 degrees global warming threshold. The company’s sustainable revenue currently accounts for 5% of its total income. The company has significantly reduced CO₂ emissions by switching to solar power at key sites, including a 5,000 m² solar project at BioFire Diagnostics producing 1.3 MW of power annually and a 460 m² installation in Sydney producing 150,000 kWh annually.
In April 2024, Biomérieux announced its five-year GO-28 plan, which aims to be a strategic roadmap that integrates sustainability into its growth initiatives.
As part of its long-standing eco-design strategy, Biomérieux introduced more sustainable and lightweight brown packaging to reduce plastic usage and optimize transport efficiency, significantly lowering the environmental footprint of its diagnostic products.
Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co KGaA: Sustainability in Life-Saving Therapies
Ranked 88th on the Corporate Knights Global 100 List for this year, Fresenius Medical Care, based in Bad Homburg, Germany, provides life-saving dialysis therapies for patients with chronic kidney disease. Despite a lower carbon productivity of $47,710, the company excels in sustainable investment, with 63% of its investments directed toward environmentally and socially responsible initiatives.
In 2024, Fresenius was included in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and Europe Index for the 15th consecutive year, reflecting its leadership in ESG practices.
In 2023, Fresenius reduced Scope 1 emissions — direct emissions from company operations — and Scope 2 emissions — indirect emissions from purchased energy — by 16% from a 2020 baseline and signed agreements for 580 GWh of renewable energy annually, advancing its climate neutrality goals.
Its focus on green energy transitions led to the adoption of solar power across multiple sites in 2024, reducing the environmental impact of its dialysis equipment production.
Coloplast A/S: Pioneering Patient-Centric and Eco-Friendly Care
Ranked 92nd on this year’s Corporate Knights Global 100 List, Coloplast, headquartered in Humlebæk, Denmark, is a leader in medical devices for ostomy and continence care. The company’s impressive carbon productivity of $182,858 reflects its commitment to efficiency.
As per their FY 2023/24 annual report, Coloplast achieved 77% production waste recycling, surpassing its 2025 goal of 75%, through initiatives like a recycling partnership in Hungary and enhanced recycling efforts at its Costa Rica facilities.
The company also reduced its Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 27% compared to its 2018/19 baseline. This progress was driven by energy efficiency upgrades, phasing out natural gas and transitioning its company fleet to electric vehicles.
Coloplast’s efforts extend to sustainable packaging, with a goal of making 90% of its packaging recyclable and 80% sourced from renewable materials by 2025.
Coloplast has set science-based climate goals, including achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. The company reported that 11% of its revenue came from sustainable sources.
Medical Device Sustainability: Towards Greener Practices
Sustainability management across healthcare sectors is challenging, but the medical device industry faces its own set of hurdles. Complex supply chains, strict sterility standards and stringent regulations make it harder to integrate eco-friendly practices.
Despite these challenges, innovations such as recyclable or biodegradable rigid packaging, optimized manufacturing processes and improved recycling systems have kept the green momentum going — balancing safety and environmental responsibility.
While the road to sustainability is complex, initiatives led by companies like Biomérieux, Fresenius Medical Care and Coloplast, alongside more recent innovations such as Hydromer’s PFAS-free solutions, showcase potential for meaningful change for both patients and the planet.
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