It’s possible to do good business and do good in our world too. We want to enhance the quality of life of the people we work with and serve, protect the environment we all share, and enable sustainable social development.
“We are committed to making a positive impact and contributing to a more sustainable future for generations to come. By reducing our carbon footprint, developing environmentally sustainable solutions, promoting social equity, and connecting with our communities, we aim to drive meaningful change.”
– Barry Slowey, Vice President, Social Impact & Sustainability
Social impact and sustainability are complex areas that touch every part of our business. To ensure we have a meaningful impact, we have three focus areas: community engagement, social impact, and environmental sustainability.
Community engagement
We can be a successful business while using our time, resources, and expertise to help solve the problems that are holding communities back. We know this looks different in communities across the globe, but we are committed to making an impact everywhere we operate in our unique Cook way.
Social enterprise partnerships
Cook engages social enterprise partners that share a common vision and mission to create meaningful, life-changing impact in the communities where we live and work. Here are a few of Cook’s partnerships:
Glad Teknik
Bjæverskov, Denmark
Glad Teknik is an IT repair shop that employs 40 people with disabilities who are able and skilled, but due to a specific diagnosis, like autism, may have a hard time finding employment. They have become our official Apple repair partner for Cook Denmark.
Campus2Career
Limerick, Ireland
A 12-week program for graduates with disabilities, Campus2Career provides mentoring, on-the-job training, practical experience, and the support that the participants require to succeed. The graduates join Cook for a 12-week placement in a department related to their educational experience.
38th and Sheridan
Indianapolis, Indiana
To help address some of the challenges of poverty and high unemployment faced by Northeast Indianapolis communities, Cook Medical partnered with Goodwill, The Indianapolis Foundation, IMPACT Central Indiana, and the United Northeast Community Development Corporation in bringing a new manufacturing facility to the neighborhood, using 100% minority-owned contractors to construct the building.
This new facility will bring 100 jobs to the community, geared toward long-term employment and career fulfilment.
Stone Belt
Bloomington, Indiana
Established in 1959, Stone Belt is a nonprofit that provides resources and support for individuals with disabilities. Stone Belt and Cook have worked together to deliver life-saving technology to patients for over four decades, with Stone Belt clients manufacturing approximately 5 million medical device supplies for Cook every year.
Philanthropy
Cook has raised money and donated needed supplies for nonprofit organizations across the globe. Some top initiatives include: More than 50,000 Euros for various charities via the 2024 Mini Marathon in Limerick, Ireland; $13,000+ worth of office supplies and furniture donated to local schools and Habitat for Humanity in Bloomington, Indiana; and 5,000 Euros for Knæk Cancer (Fight Against Cancer) in Denmark.
Volunteerism
Cook employees around the globe dedicate thousands of hours every year to volunteer initiatives, working with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity in the United States, Food Angel in Hong Kong, Stepping Stones in China, and Coffee Brigade in Australia.
Social impact
We are guided by our core values. Foundational to our actions is the principle of treating others with respect. We believe the world needs more companies that understand and use their potential to create positive social impact through the way they operate. Respecting others involves supporting the well-being of our employees and elevating our communities.
My Cook Pathway
Cook’s program to help employees with education, financial planning, and health goals.
Diversity, equity & inclusion
We strive to integrate DEI into every facet of our business.
Human rights responsibility
Cook has a comprehensive global Ethics & Compliance program and is committed to ensuring that our global operations comply with our own internal policies relating to human rights and with any legal requirements. Learn more on our Ethics & Compliance and Supplier Code of Conduct pages.
Environmental sustainability
We are committed to making sustainable and inventive choices across our organization to protect our environment by reducing our carbon footprint and achieving impactful environmental goals.
Climate mitigation
We are focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions; improving energy efficiency; using renewable energy sources in our operations and supply chain; building resilient infrastructure; protecting and enhancing natural habitats; and promoting sustainable practices across the business.
Renewable energy
Over 3,000 solar panels have been installed at our global headquarters and our North American Distribution Center, which will offset more than 1,000 metric tons of CO2 every year—the equivalent of the amount of CO2 generated from 1,335,800 miles driven by a passenger car, which have already prevented over 2,463 tons of CO2 emissions.
Additionally, since 2015, we have installed 770 solar panels at our Cook Medical Australia locations, resulting in a 32% decrease in energy consumption.
Diverting e-waste
We promote and engage in environmentally friendly activities at all our sites, and we encourage others to do the same. For example, we regularly host community electronic waste recycling events. In 2023, 1,060 cars came through the collection site in Bloomington, Indiana, bringing 113,240 pounds of electronics. A similar event at our Vandergrift, Pennsylvania, location collected over 150,000 pounds of e-waste in 2023.
ISO 14001 certification
This International Organization for Standardization (ISO) certification is given to companies that meet requirements of minimizing their negative environmental impact.
Cook Denmark – Achieved ISO 14001 Certification – March 2020
Cook Winston-Salem, NC – Achieved ISO 14001:2015 Certification – February 2022
Cook Ireland – Achieved ISO 14001 and ISO 50001 (energy efficiency) certifications – November 2019
European sales subsidiaries (16 countries) – Achieved ISO 14001 Certification – December 2024
Cook Inc., Bloomington, IN – Expected ISO 14001 Certification – 2025
Cook Australia – Expected ISO 14001 Certification – 2025
Product and packaging sustainability
Because we ship fragile medical devices all over the world that must be kept safe and sterile, we are working to build sustainability into the early phases of product design and packaging and shifting delivery methods to reduce CO2 emissions, and looking at ways to minimize the impacts of the entire life-span of a product.
Recyclable and recycled materials
We now use PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol-modified) for product package trays, which is a 100% recyclable virgin material. Our product cartons are made from recyclable material. Our shipping cartons are 100% recyclable, containing on average 65-70% recycled material. Our European Distribution Centre uses air pillows that are 100% recyclable.
Responsible material use
We are striving to design and deliver lifesaving products to patients and to minimize environmental impacts that occur during the manufacturing and delivery process.
Avoiding hazardous substances
We are continually working to advance our knowledge of our materials’ lifecycle impacts. As part of our design and development process we assess for the presence of hazardous substances. We no longer use polyvinyl chloride, a chemical of concern, in the development of new medical device technologies. We operate in accordance with governing regulations and provide all necessary information about these substances in our product labels.
