Beyond the Miles: Why Every Kilometre Doesn’t Count the Same

Beyond the Miles: Why Every Kilometre Doesn’t Count the Same

Laboratories are under increasing pressure to reduce their environmental impact—but when it comes to assessing the sustainability of lab equipment, location isn't everything.

A new whitepaper from Haier Biomedical reveals why evaluating the green credentials of scientific instruments goes far beyond simply measuring distance from the manufacturer. It’s time to rethink how we define “eco-friendly” procurement.

Key Highlights:

Transportation matters—but method trumps miles.
Sea freight is over 70 times more efficient than air freight and around 7 times more efficient than land. That’s why Haier Biomedical ships products using Evergreen Marine, a partner whose carbon reduction measures have cut emissions by 68% since 2008.

Operational energy is the real sustainability driver.
Over its 10-year lifespan, a Haier TwinCool ULT freezer emits 4,562 kg of CO₂—yet only 55.4 kg of this is from shipping. That’s just 1.22% of its total impact, demonstrating that energy-efficient performance once installed should be the top procurement priority.

‘Made locally’ doesn’t always mean greener.
Even equipment assembled in the UK typically contains global components—like compressors from Italy or electronics from China—making the overall supply chain far more complex than many assume.

Optimised shipping = smarter sustainability.
Haier uses 40-foot containers, which not only reduce packaging waste but also improve transport efficiency during both sea and land legs.

The takeaway:
Procurement decisions focused solely on distance can be misleading. True green credentials come from a product’s lifetime efficiency, sustainable logistics, and a well-managed global supply chain.

Read the full whitepaper to explore the data behind the findings and see how Haier Biomedical is helping labs around the world make truly sustainable choices.