ARLINGTON, Va. & REYKJAVIK, Iceland — Kerecis, an Icelandic biotech firm known for transforming fish skin into medical products, has been awarded the Premier Sustainability Award for Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions. The recognition was presented at Premier Inc.’s Breakthroughs 25 Conference, celebrating Kerecis’ commitment to environmental stewardship through waste-to-value innovation.
Premier, the second-largest group purchasing organization in the U.S., selected Kerecis for its standout sustainability practices in the medical device sector. The company’s approach centers on converting cod skin — typically discarded as waste — into regenerative tissue treatments, all while maintaining an environmentally responsible manufacturing process.
“Sustainability is not a secondary initiative for Kerecis, it’s foundational to our business model,” said Fertram Sigurjonsson, Founder and CEO of Kerecis, during the award ceremony.
Kerecis powers its manufacturing facilities entirely with renewable energy and employs electric vehicles for transportation. The company also utilizes centralized distribution and recycled packaging to further reduce its carbon footprint.
According to third-party audits based on ISAE 3000 standards, Kerecis outperforms industry averages in carbon efficiency. The company reports just 0.02 tons of CO2 emissions per $1,000 of gross revenue—far below the 0.19-ton industry average. Its emissions per full-time employee stand at 5 tons, compared to an average of 57.5 tons among peers.
Kerecis says it will continue tracking its emissions using rigorous, data-driven methods similar to those used for assessing its products’ clinical effectiveness and patient outcomes.
“This award reinforces our approach to building value from resources that would otherwise go to waste,” Sigurjonsson said. “We are thrilled to be recognized by Premier for our commitment to responsible manufacturing and for showing that environmental and clinical priorities can align.”
