From air to sea: how Boston Scientific ANZ slashed freight emissions

Boston Scientific is dedicated to collaborating with healthcare professionals to develop life-saving medical devices. The company helps people live longer, healthier lives.

Its Australian team has made a bold shift in its supply chain – cutting freight and overall operational emissions through smart, collaborative action. A CitySwitch member since 2022, the company proves that even global organisations can make a local impact.

At first the team found it difficult to know the best way to create effective change. Despite the challenges, the local team found a way. We asked senior commercial and pricing analyst at Boston Scientific Harry Chiam about the company's sustainability work.

What actions have you introduced and what were the results?

Overhauling our freight practices has been one of our biggest wins. Since January 2025, we’ve successfully transitioned 6.83 metric tons of endoscopic products from air to sea freight – a shift that has resulted in an estimated reduction of 100 metric tons in greenhouse gas emissions, representing a 99% overall decrease.

Other moves in our supply chain have been made. We asked major customers to order once a day rather than 10 or more times a day. Consolidating orders has led to a 25% reduction of emissions year on year, while also being more cost effective for the business.

We also introduced activities such as beach clean-ups quarterly and a recycling scheme which raises funds for charity.

How has CitySwitch helped you? What have you found beneficial?

CitySwitch was instrumental in helping us calculate baseline emissions and spot the most high-impact areas.

We participated in the carbon accounting program a little while ago. This gave us clarity on scopes 1, 2 and 3, and helped set the focus. We redirected our efforts towards domestic freight and switched to a carbon-neutral logistics partner.

Joining CitySwitch – subscribing to something – has a psychological effect of making you commit to act. You feel obliged to do something. It gives us a focus and reminds us to keep sustainability top of mind.

Simply moving to paper straws isn’t going to do the job. CitySwitch helped us understand what additional actions we can take for genuine impact.

What's next?

Balancing the feel-good stuff with heavy-hitting initiatives.

We’re looking at:

• purchasing 100% renewable electricity

• an 100% recycled shipping box – we need to find a way to make a raw box striking enough so it’s easily found in warehouses.

What tips do you have for other businesses?

• We have a committee of 8 to 10 people that meets once a month to focus on sustainability. The ideas that come out of the group can be very uplifting. It’s good to be involved.

• Get recycling streams.

• Just start something and give it a go! It’s not as difficult as you think to make an impact.