In a major sustainability milestone, the Agilent refurbishment centers in Singapore and Little Falls, U.S., received the highest level of My Green Lab? Certification in April 2025—an achievement that’s widely recognized as the gold standard in laboratory sustainability best practices.
At the heart of both refurbishment centers is the Agilent Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Instruments program, where a team of dedicated employees carefully restore used Agilent instrument models to like-new condition. Each instrument comes with a 12-month factory warranty—the same as a brand-new instrument.
The prestigious My Green Lab Certification status of the refurbishment centers reinforces Agilent’s commitment to environmental sustainability. This is a powerful endorsement of initiatives like the Agilent CPO program, which strives to advance the circular lab economy and inspire a sustainable mindset across the industry.
The journey toward sustainable change
Inspired by the Agilent CoE labs in Santa Clara, U.S.; Waldbronn, Germany; and Cheadle, UK, our refurbishment centers in Little Falls and Singapore decided in April 2024 to apply for the My Green Lab Certification, passionate to make more sustainable changes to their operations.
At the start of the process, staff at both refurbishment centers underwent an initial assessment to establish a baseline of how environmentally sustainable their existing operations were. The initial results came in at 41% and 53% for the Little Falls and Singapore refurbishment centers, respectively.
Stepping up to the challenge, the labs embraced sustainability best practices to drive lasting, meaningful change. “We started with educating the team on what it means to be sustainable in our environment,” commented David Oliphant, global operations analyst at Agilent.
He explained, “We introduced processes such as first in/first out with chemical standards usage, implemented internal bi-annual waste audits to help reduce waste, and created ‘best practice’ signs around the facility to nurture a culture geared towards a sustainable mindset.”
The collaborative efforts of all staff members have been instrumental in fostering a sustainable culture shift within the refurbishment centers. When it came to the teams’ final assessments in April 2025, their hard work and dedication had paid off. The Little Falls and Singapore teams obtained scores of 90% and 87%, respectively—earning them the highest level of My Green Lab Certification, known as "green.”
Acknowledging this milestone achievement, David Sharp, operations director of the Agilent refurbishment centers, said, “Achieving the ‘green’ My Green Lab Certification marks the beginning of a comprehensive journey towards waste reduction throughout the Agilent refurbishment process. CPO instruments have already played a significant role in Agilent's circular economy initiative, and this is recognized by our customers. With a ‘green’ level certification at both the Little Falls and Singapore sites, we are now better equipped to further reduce waste and enhance the sustainability of Agilent CPO products.”
Scott Grant, vice president of certifications at Impact Laboratories (a subsidiary of My Green Lab), added, “Agilent’s ‘green’ My Green Lab Certification for both their Little Falls and Singapore refurbishment centers highlights the growing importance of environmental responsibility across all areas of the lab ecosystem. These sites play a vital role in extending the life of scientific instruments, and their certification reflects a thoughtful and rigorous approach to minimizing environmental impact. We’re proud to celebrate this milestone and Agilent’s commitment to advancing sustainability in science.”
Activating the circular lab economy
Agilent promotes a circular economy model, employing various strategies that help redirect instrument waste away from landfill as much as possible. Through the CPO program, used instruments are refurbished and given a new life in a new lab.
Our customers have the option to return their used Agilent instrument models back to us using the Agilent Trade-In and Buyback program. Through the CPO program, instruments are then refurbished in the factory where Agilent instruments are originally made. This enables the CPO teams to utilize new, original parts in the refurbishment if needed, and facilitates collaboration with expert engineers involved in instrument design.
As a result, CPO instruments are refurbished to like-new specifications, ready to be rehomed and utilized in different labs. The CPO program is particularly beneficial for budget-conscious labs looking for high-performance equipment at a lower cost.
Where returned Agilent instruments cannot be refurbished to like-new specifications, the parts are harvested and recycled, avoiding further unnecessary landfill waste.
Watch the following video to learn more about the Agilent CPO refurbishment process.
Fostering a culture of laboratory sustainability
Not only have the Agilent refurbishment centers achieved “green” status, but a significant portion of refurbishment engineers—over 80% in Singapore and 40% in Little Falls, U.S.—who participated in the My Green Lab Certification survey have now advanced their sustainability knowledge to become My Green Lab Ambassadors. The Ambassador program is designed for scientists and laboratory professionals who are motivated to promote sustainability within their labs.
Abdul Rahman, operations support for the Agilent CPO program, volunteered to be a My Green Lab ambassador and a point of contact for the Singapore team. He commented, “I care about making meaningful contributions, not just in the workplace but in the bigger picture too. Sustainability, to me, means being thoughtful about how our actions today impact the future—both environmentally and socially. It’s about making choices that lead to long-term benefits, and I wanted to be part of that effort.”
By exploring and embracing what it truly means to be more sustainable, the refurbishment centers have delved deeper into automation projects. For instance, the refurbishment centers have streamlined their chemical standard processes by automating entry steps and purchase order and shipment procedures. These initiatives have not only increased operational efficiency in the labs but also enabled the teams to prioritize waste reduction.
Driving sustainable innovation
Environmental sustainability remains a prominent topic as global companies prioritize more sustainable business practices. Combined with Agilent’s circular economy strategies, the My Green Lab Certification of our refurbishment centers further intensifies our sustainability efforts to reduce environmental impact, aligning ever closer with our target of net-zero emissions by 2050.
Summarizing what this means to the Agilent team, David Oliphant remarked, “Earning the highest level of My Green Lab Certification is a testament to the dedication and precision of our team. The leap from our baseline to final assessment reflects how seriously we take our mission, from restoring used instruments to like-new condition to rethinking every process for impact. This milestone doesn’t just recognize our efforts; it sets the standard for how we’ll continue driving sustainable innovation.”
DE-008851