Digital Shipping Labels

1 ) During checkout, look for a box titled "Sequencing Sample Submission Options."

2.) Select the option for **Print Shipping Label** from the Summary page of **Checkout**.

3.) After completing checkout, a digital shipping label will automatically be generated and pop up on the confirmation screen.

4.) Select the print option to print the label.

If you forget to print the label on the confirmation page, you can still retrieve the shipping label from the Order History page. Click the **My Orders** link, expand the order, and click “**print shipping label.**” A prepaid label will be generated.

Packaging

The following guidelines help to ensure that your samples arrive in optimal condition.

• Use a sturdy envelope or rigid box with flaps intact, that is strong enough to hold the contents. That means it shouldn't have tears, rips, bends, or other damage.
• Make sure to remove any old labels or cross out old markings on the box.
• Use adequate cushioning material. If possible, wrap items individually and surround them with recyclable or foam loose-fill materials. Content should not directly touch the inside of the shipping box.
• Securely seal your package using strong tape designed for shipping, such as pressure-sensitive plastic or nylon reinforced tape that's at least 2 in./5.08 cm wide. Do not use string or paper over-wrap
• Properly label your package, using a single address label that has clear, complete delivery and return information. Secure the label on the outside of the box or envelope and avoid placing it on the seams or tape.

Restrictions

• Digital shipping labels are not available in Canada due to the differences inherent in international shipping and customs.
• Digital shipping labels may or may not be available in the quoting system, depending on options. In a small number of cases, this means the quote amount may differ slightly than the order amount, if there is a fee for the digital shipping label.

Eurofins Genomics recently implemented a new system of digital shipping labels to replace overnight shipping kits and decrease its environmental footprint. The old system of ordering Overnight Shipping Kit was wasteful particularly because of the abundance of extra envelopes, paper, and packaging, much of which was thrown away. The new digital shipping label will be provided free for qualifying orders and printed locally, so the exact amount of material needed is used, leaving very little waste. Below are the three primary areas that we hope to reduce our environmental footprint in, although additional reductions are expected in auxiliary areas related to fuel and logistics.

1. Reduction in paper and plastic utilized by the shipping envelopes, which were not fully utilized. Meaning, many were thrown away.
2. Reduction in cardboard utilized to ship the overnight kits to customers.
3. Reduction in shipments due to consolidation of samples into fewer packages.

We currently ship enough prepaid, UPS envelopes each year to cover the same square footage as Buckingham Palace! We estimate that at least half of these envelopes go unused and eventually thrown away.

	Annual Material Used for Prepaid Envelopes	75% Reduction	50% Reduction
	About the size of Buckingham Palace

By switching to the new digital shipping label system, we expect to cut our environmental footprint in half in the first year, and reach 70-90% reduction over 5 years. This does not include the additional reduction in corrugated cardboard and logistics.