LT- Expertisegroep Duurzaamheid - FHI, federatie van technologiebranches

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The FHI Sustainability Expertise Group brings companies, laboratories, and supply chain partners together to make sustainability practical in the lab. This is important because the sector works with energy-intensive processes, strict quality requirements, and many (sometimes mandatory) consumables. We pool knowledge and practical experience, address shared bottlenecks in the supply chain, and translate new legislation and regulations into daily work. This way, organizations do not have to reinvent the wheel, and we arrive at feasible approaches and results more quickly.

Participants in the Sustainability Expertise Group

Importance for the laboratory sector

						Collaboration ensures pace and clarity. Sustainable choices become easier to compare, suppliers and labs align their expectations, and good examples are adopted more widely more quickly. The group also helps translate developments such as CSRD and ESPR (and other supply chain requirements) into concrete steps for the procurement, use, maintenance, and replacement or disposal of equipment and materials.
					

What do we do?

We share knowledge through meetings, workshops, and practical examples.
We organize practical workshops for laboratories. In these workshops, we share knowledge and provide tools to get started immediately in the lab.
We identify bottlenecks in the supply chain (such as single-use, packaging, and return flows) and work together on solutions.
We follow laws and regulations and explain what this means for labs and suppliers.
We connect members with initiatives, pilots, and potential collaboration partners.

Themes

Less waste and better recycling
Circularity and reuse (materials and parts)
More sustainable packaging and logistics
Reduced energy and water consumption in and around the lab
Sustainable procurement and clear supplier information
Extending the lifespan of equipment: maintenance, repair and refurbishment

Laws and regulations

						In the laboratory sector, legislation and regulations are important because you work with critical processes, (bio)chemical substances, equipment, and data. Rules and standards ensure safety, reliable results, and good quality. Examples include quality standards (such as ISO 15189 and ISO/IEC 17025), requirements regarding working with substances and mixtures (REACH/CLP), transport and storage (e.g., ADR), and regulations concerning occupational health and safety, the environment, and waste streams. Additionally, more and more sustainability and supply chain requirements are being added, for example regarding procurement, product information, reporting, and circularity. For labs and suppliers, this means looking not only at performance and compliance but also at origin, energy consumption, lifespan, repair, and waste processing. The challenge is to comply with the regulations while simultaneously taking practical steps that fit the daily work in and around the lab.
					

Join the expert group

The expert group is intended for FHI members and other organizations in the laboratory chain. This includes suppliers of laboratory equipment and consumables, laboratories, and parties working on quality, safety, and compliance.

Would you like to participate, ask a question, or share a practical example? Then please contact Wendy Debets or Robin van Dijk.
Email Wendy Email Robin

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