Sustainability dilemmas: working together

During the workshop 'Sustainability in the Lab' we worked together on sustainability in the laboratory. Jurriaan Beckers from Leiden University of Applied Sciences and Réka Ötvös from Janssen Biologics shared their experiences and together we thought about solutions to common problems. The main question is: how do you ensure that an organization moves towards a more sustainable way of working? The solution: start your own green team!

During the workshop we took a solution-oriented look at the many challenges that laboratory technicians face. Numerous solutions have been mentioned and we would like to share them with you.

The ideas range from small, simple adjustments to large, impactful changes. We especially hope that you will find inspiration to get started yourself.

Recycling

During the workshop it became apparent that it is not always clear which waste may and may not be separated. There are concerns about safety and recycling is more difficult than expected, especially in hospitals. In addition, the amount of packaging materials is overwhelming. Jurriaan confirms this: “I don't have an obvious solution for plastics yet, it's just a lot.”

But fortunately there are also things we can do. For example, Jurriaan points out the possibility of choosing disposable metal barrels instead of plastic. Furthermore, awareness is also important to encourage employees to recycle materials. Place clear stickers near the waste recycling and explain what exactly goes where. Make joint agreements and ensure that they are fulfilled. The workshop participants come up with the idea of introducing a deposit process. The responsibility for packaging materials lies not only with the user, but also with the manufacturer.

Tips to get started right away:

• Connect energy meters to your devices, so you know exactly how much electricity you use (and how much you can still save).
• Store dry ice in an insulated container. Then you can use it again.
• Take a critical look at your freezer. Set the temperature from -80°C to -70°C. Clean out your freezer and keep track of what's in it.
• Donate written-off laboratory equipment to schools or sell it via LabMakelaar.
• Start an ideas box for sustainable ideas within the organization.
• Place stickers and posters on the lab and equipment to raise awareness.
• Check whether there is a sustainable alternative to chemicals and solvents.
• Take a tour of the lab before you go home. Which equipment can you still turn off?

Smart research

You can also take sustainability into account when designing your research and experiments. Think critically about the amount of measurements you take, are they really all necessary? Reduction of scale can save resources in many cases. There is also increasing attention to sustainable analysis methods, such as supercritical fluid chromatography (SFC). SFC uses CO2 in a supercritical state. In that case, no liquid solvents are needed as with conventional liquid chromatography (LC). This means a large reduction in waste for laboratories and lower costs for processing the liquid solvents.

When setting up your research, also think about the use of single-use plastics. For example, can you do more with the same pipette tip? And do you always need a new pair of gloves? When it comes to pipette tips, there are also sustainable options. For example, Isogen Life Science has a pipette tip system with refills and pipette trays that can be autoclaved up to 200 times. They also take back the plastic products for sustainable recycling.

Sustainability view

Jurriaan's most important tip is to walk through the laboratory with a sustainability perspective. Take a different look at your working environment: which lights are on, which equipment can you turn off, what about the waste separation bins and how much plastic do we actually use? And if you are looking for a fresh perspective: ask a new employee what could be done differently. Don't let statements like “But we always do it this way here” stop you and explain to colleagues what the benefits are.

According to Réka, collecting data about your (planned) sustainability projects can help with critical or negative reactions. Make the impact of your project insightful with numbers about the amount of kWh of energy or the liters of water you will save. Also emphasize that these savings ultimately make money for the organization.

Do it together

During the workshop we conclude that you cannot do it alone. There is a good chance that there are motivated colleagues within your organization who find sustainability just as important as you do. Get together and start a 'green team'. Then create a plan, meet regularly to discuss initiatives and share them with the rest of the organization. Also ask for input from colleagues, this way you make sustainability a shared responsibility.

Practical tip: share (chemical) solutions with your fellow laboratory technicians. Just keep it clean and work neatly to prevent it from standing around after one use.

To really make big steps you need the entire chain. Therefore, talk to suppliers; ask sustainability questions in tenders and choose more sustainable options if they are available. But don't try to do everything at once. Start with small projects that can make a big difference and share the results with others. Some projects, such as upgrading freezers, require large investments. Ultimately, sustainability will become part of the corporate culture, but this will take time.

Useful links and resources:

• Green Chemistry Alternative Resources from My Green Lab
• Sticker and poster templates – Bristol and Edinburgh Universities
• LEAF: Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework
• Green Labs NL for practical tips
• Green Your Lab: a network for sustainable science
• Foundation open for recycling electrical appliances

Thanks to:

Réka Ötvös from Janssen Biologics, Jurriaan Beckers from Leiden University of Applied Sciences, Moniek Muskee from Isogen Life Science and of course all participants for your contribution.