Article

Industry-first ACT Label certification for the LightCycler® PRO system

Lab tech loads a sample tray into Roche LightCycler PRO, a compact PCR system with the ACT label, My Green Lab certification

Key takeaways

  1. The LightCycler® PRO system earned the ACT Label through third-party verification, recognizing its sustainable design, low energy use, weight reduction, optimized packaging, and recyclability
  2. The ACT Label is a sustainability certification for life science products, providing third-party verified data on environmental impact. This ecolabel helps scientists and procurement specialists assess factors like energy use, manufacturing, packaging, and waste reduction, ensuring transparency in eco-friendly lab tools.
  3. Roche is committed to reducing its environmental impact, aiming for 100% sustainable energy by 2025, a 50% footprint reduction by 2029, and net-zero emissions by 2045

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Lighting the way in sustainability

01.05.2025

Building upon Roche’s legacy as a pioneer in healthcare, we are proud to announce that the LightCycler® PRO system has become the first IVD instrument to receive the ACT Environmental Impact Factor Label. Roche is the first in the industry to secure third-party validation for the environmental impact of a molecular platform, highlighting our commitment to driving lab sustainability and innovation within healthcare.

A true mark of progress: The ACT Label

The ACT Environmental Impact Factor Label is the most comprehensive product labeling program for life science products. It was designed to address the need for clear, third-party verified information about the environmental impact of laboratory tools. The ACT Label provides scientists and procurement specialists with verified data on a product’s environmental footprint across various factors, including energy and water use, manufacturing processes, packaging, use of recycled materials, waste reduction, and end-of-life management.

How Roche earned the ACT Label with the LightCycler® PRO system

To obtain an ACT Label,* products undergo rigorous third-party verification to assess their environmental sustainability metrics, focusing on Accountability, Consistency, and Transparency (ACT). The LightCycler® PRO system was awarded the ACT certification for its outstanding sustainability credentials.

As documented in the Clean Technologies (CT) database, this has been made possible through a range of initiatives, including comprehensive impact reduction strategies at our manufacturing site in Rotkreuz, Switzerland, and the eco-conscious design thinking involved in the creation and delivery of the LightCycler® PRO system.1

The ACT Label (US version) is a eco-label from My Green Lab awarded to the LightCycler® PRO system
  • Energy efficiency: The LightCycler® PRO system’s energy consumption is measured at just 2.8 kWh per day, which is at the low end of the typical daily energy consumption of PCR Instruments2,3
  • Product content: A redesign reduced the need for external hardware in a dematerialisation of almost 30% of the weight.
  • Reduced shipping impact: Optimized packaging and distribution methods minimize the environmental footprint during transportation.
  • Sustainable packaging: The product’s packaging incorporates recyclable materials and requires less packaging than its predecessor (24% reduction by volume).
  • End-of-Life considerations: Thoughtful design ensures the product’s components can be effectively recycled or disposed of responsibly.
What does this mean for our customers?

There is now an industry-wide push to drive more eco-friendly practices in labs across the globe, and the urgency to set more ambitious sustainability goals will continue to grow. By partnering with Roche and choosing products like the LightCycler® PRO system, customers can more easily meet waste reduction and environmental targets. This allows for the adoption of greener practices without compromising on quality or performance. With a shared commitment to reducing environmental impact, Roche and its customers can drive better outcomes, not just for patients, but for the planet too.

Our actions beyond the ACT Label

Looking to the future, Roche remains steadfast in its sustainability goals, aiming to further reduce the environmental impact of its products and operations. Our core objectives are to be powered by 100% sustainable energy by 2025, achieve a 50% reduction of our environmental footprint by 2029, and reach net zero emissions across our entire value chain by 2045.4,5

As part of our broader environmental strategy, we continue to improve our approaches to distribution and packaging to maintain leadership in sustainable innovation. This includes reducing our carbon footprint by using sea freight instead of air freight to transport our products, implementing more sustainable packaging principles, and developing new sustainable artwork principles. By prioritizing efficient material usage and incorporating recycled materials in the packaging of our platforms, we were able to achieve an overall volume reduction of 24%.

Through these efforts, Roche is not only improving the environmental footprint of its own products but also inspiring the industry to follow suit.

LightCycler PRO is a qPCR system designed to deliver accuracy and flexibility to research and clinical diagnostic labs

LightCycler® PRO system

The ACT Label is proof that the LightCycler® PRO system stands out for its commitment to environmentally thoughtful design considerations. However, its features extend beyond sustainability. Come explore our qPCR system designed to offer exceptional performance and reliability in clinical research applications.

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Sustainability at Roche:Our mission to create a better world

We believe a better future is possible if we integrate social, economic, and environmental commitments into a collaborative three-faced strategy that promotes sustainable practices across all our operations.

*The ACT Label score may differ across regions.

References:

  1. My Green Lab. ACT Database. [Internet; cited Apr 2025]. Available from: https://actdatabase.mygreenlab.org/details/1461
  2. My Green Lab. Energy Consumption of University Laboratories. [Internet; cited Apr 2025]. Available from: https://www.mygreenlab.org/uploads/2/1/9/4/21945752/ie_-_energy_consumption_of_univeristy_laboratories_-_s-labs.pdf.
  3. UCSC. Energy Consumption of Laboratory Equipment. [Internet; cited Apr 2025]. Available from: https://sustainability.ucsc.edu/engage/green-certified/green-labs/resources/Energy%20Efficiency/energy_consumption.pdf.
  4. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Roche Sustainability Goals. [Internet; cited Apr 2025]. Available from: https://diagnostics.roche.com/global/en/article-listing/sustainability.html
  5. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Roche submits science-based targets for net zero by 2045. [Internet; cited Apr 2025]. Available from: https://www.roche.com/investors/updates/inv-update-2024-10-11#:~:text=The%20goal%20is%20to%20achieve,and%202%20emissions%20by%202050
  6. F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. LightCycler® PRO System. [Internet; cited Apr 2025]. Available from: https://diagnostics.roche.com/gb/en/products/instruments/lightcycler-pro-ins-6284.html