Sustainable waste streams in the lab: from practice to impact

Sustainable waste streams in the lab: from practice to impact

Is the waste in front of you a dumping ground or is it valuable again? Discover it during the interactive workshop Sustainable waste streams in the lab at the LabNL fair.

Laboratories produce large amounts of waste every day. Think of pipette tips, test tubes, cell culture material, gloves and chemical residues. Much of this waste automatically ends up in the incinerator, often without thinking about more sustainable alternatives. But is that always necessary? How can you separate, treat and even reuse waste in a smart and responsible way? During this workshop you will not only get an answer to this question - you will also really get to work with it.

What can you expect?

In the first part of the workshop we simulate the daily practice of the lab. You will be presented with different types of lab waste and the assignment: sort it into the correct waste stream. What belongs to chemical waste? What can go to residual waste, or not? And what must you autoclave first before the waste can leave the lab?

This practical approach not only makes you aware of your own waste behaviour, but also offers direct tools for improving sustainable solutions.

Then a presentation is given in which we go deeper into the different waste streams, the laws and regulations and the choices you can make. We discuss questions such as:

• How should you treat lab waste to dispose of it safely?
• Can you reuse certain materials and if so, how?
• How do you organize efficient waste logistics in the lab?
• Does certain waste need to be sterilized or autoclaved before transport?
• What are sustainable alternatives for commonly used consumables?

The workshop is given by professionals from the field, who share their experience and practical tips. Of course there is room for questions and discussion: how do other labs deal with this, and what can you learn from it?

Do you want to discover how to manage waste flows in your lab smarter and more sustainably? Then sign up for this workshop during LabNL.