Baxter beats environmental goals in 2010

Baxter has released its 2010 sustainability report, highlighting the year's performance compared with 2005: a 10 percent decrease in water use (31 percent indexed to revenue) and 7 percent decrease in greenhouse gases (29 percent indexed to revenue). Both of the indexed-to-revenue figures exceed company goals.

In tracking the sustainability of its suppliers, Baxter identifies 100 each year to survey based on spend, importance to business continuity, and carbon footprint.

In 2010, 77 of the 100 suppliers responded to the survey. Based on their responses, Baxter judged 44 percent of them "green" compared with 34 percent of 70 respondents in 2009.

The company notes that in 2010 it earned sustainable manufacturing recognition through the certification of a decreased carbon footprint for its XENIUM+ synthetic dialyzer, a filter used in hemodialysis. The new version is 22 percent lighter than its predecessors, yielding reduced fuel consumption in shipping and biohazard waste removal, and it uses about one-third less cardboard in its packaging. All materials are free of bisphenol-A, the company says. The verification assessed carbon emissions during manufacture, distribution, use and disposal of the dialyzers.

- here's the Baxter release
- see the environmental stats summary
- see the supplier sustainability survey results

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