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GSK Wavre's QC labs achieve My Green Lab certification, setting a new standard for sustainability!

We're thrilled to share a significant milestone in our sustainability journey: the Quality Control (QC) departments at GSK Wavre have achieved the “My Green Lab” certification. This accomplishment not only highlights our commitment to environmental responsibility but also celebrates the innovative spirit of our teams.
Their success adds to a growing number of QC GSK labs participating in “My Green Lab” certifications, showcasing a collective drive towards greener operations.

Our QC laboratories are at the heart of what we do. They are where rigorous testing takes place, ensuring that every vaccine and medicine produced meets the most stringent safety and efficacy standards before it ever reaches a patient. These labs are the ultimate guardians of our product quality, and their crucial work underpins the trust patients place in us.

GSK Wavre team celebrating the My Green Lab sustainability certification for Quality Control labs
Committing to a greener future

The My Green Lab certification is a globally recognised benchmark for sustainable laboratory practices and is an integral part of the UN's Race to Zero campaign. It acknowledges organisations that actively work to reduce the environmental impact of lab operations and implement best practices for sustainability.

Starting with an ambitious goal in early 2024 to secure their first Green Lab certification, our Belgium QC team committed months of intensive work. This sustained effort has paid off, and by 2026, we're delighted that all categories of our QC labs have achieved the Green certification. This objective was supported by a comprehensive "Green QC" roadmap, focusing on four key pillars:

  1. Energy savings for net-zero carbon ambition: Initiatives included heating, ventilation, and air conditioning optimisation, chilled water system improvements, and the installation of heat pumps. These efforts directly contribute to reducing our overall carbon footprint.
  2. Waste and circularity: The teams have identified opportunities to minimise waste, focusing on areas such as cold packs, shipping boxes, plastics, and single-use lab coats. These efforts directly support the waste hierarchy: to eliminate, reduce, reuse, and finally recycle our materials, circularising them at their highest possible value.
  3. Mindset and communication: Fostering a culture of sustainability through monthly challenges and increased internal communication, encouraging every team member to contribute to greener practices.
  4. My Green Lab certification: The overarching goal that brought these efforts together.
A GSK scientist handles a tray of red-capped vials, illustrating optimized Quality Control operations in Belgium.
Tangible impact and results

The dedication of our QC teams has delivered significant improvements. Through optimising equipment and processes, they have substantially reduced energy consumption, minimised waste generation, and actively promoted the circularity of materials.

These efforts directly contributed to the site-wide achievement of a significant 55.2% reduction in carbon emissions (*scope 1&2) from our Belgian sites by the end of 2025, compared to our 2020 baseline, moving us closer to our 2030 target of an 80% reduction.

GSK scientists collaborate in a modern Wavre lab, a testament to the team’s dedication to innovation.
A testament to dedication

This achievement is a direct result of the relentless dedication and innovative spirit of our Wavre teams. Our proactive approach to integrating sustainability into our daily work exemplifies GSK's ambition to get ahead of disease together, while also operating responsibly for all stakeholders.
We are incredibly proud of our teams for this achievement, which directly strengthens our commitment to building a healthier future for patients and the planet.