Quest Diagnostics Environmental Impact

At Quest, we process 157 million test requests annually. Transporting those samples requires every car and plane in our fleet. We continually look to make small, green changes that can have a big impact.

Prior to 2014, specimens were transported in Styrofoam coolers. In 2015, we expanded our use of the Quest Specimen Transport System throughout the U.S. This cardboard box with a special liner allows us to ship specimens safely and responsibly. The liner can be reused or returned to the vendor so they can recycle it and provide us with a refund.

In 2014, we returned more than 68,000 liners and reused another 18,750. In 2015, we returned more than 122,000 liners and reused 35,221, which added to our 2014-2015 cost savings of $1.9 million. 

We handle thousands of confidential documents that need to be disposed of carefully. We work with environmentally responsible vendors to securely shred and recycle our paper. 

In 2015, we worked with suppliers recognized for their environmental stewardship to recycle more than 6,800 tons of paper. They securely shred documents and transport the processed materials to paper mills for pulping. This ensures our security (and that of our patients) while reducing pollution, preserving landfill space, saving trees, and protecting water and energy resources. These efforts saved the equivalent of more than 151,024 trees and 165 million gallons of water. 

Click here to read our 2015 Global Inclusiong and Corporate Social Responsibility Report and learn more about our environmental impact.