Lab Sustainability Strategies To Support Your Research

How To Guide 1 Lab Sustainability Strategies To Support Your Research Fiona Hogan Bradford Many of us understand why sustainability is important, but few people understand this better than laboratory researchers. These are the people seeking solutions for global issues, pursuing innovation, taking in data about the world around us and observing in real-time trends that can reveal some scary truths about our changing planet. Most of the researchers I talk to since I’ve been working in lab sustainability programming are also keenly aware of the environmental footprint of the work they do. They feel discouraged by every glove they have to throw in the trash, they notice the half-filled autoclaves, they see how climate issues affect their areas of research. But between grant deadlines and adhering to strict safety protocols, finding the time to explore “sustainability” in the context of the lab can be daunting. I propose that we stop thinking about “sustainability” as the things we do to assuage our guilt or shame about climate change, but instead start thinking about it as an opportunity to improve everything around us. I’m a firm believer that sustainable solutions in the lab can support team cohesion, support efficiency, enhance safety and help researchers stand out in grant proposals. There are many pathways to making your lab a more sustainable space. Get started today with some of these accessible sustainability tips that can enhance the efficiency and safety of your research! 1. Get to know your impact It’s helpful to establish a baseline in your lab before you decide what sustainability opportunities make the most sense for your group. When you have a diverse group of researchers and multiple ongoing experiments within one lab, it can be hard to understand what the comprehensive footprint of your research is without bringing everyone together to talk about what they’re purchasing and what they’re throwing in the trash. Get a group meeting on the calendar! Here are some of the questions you might want to explore together: • Who are the purchasers in your lab? Do they coordinate with each other or submit orders individually? Which vendors and platforms are they using? Tip: Consolidating orders can be a great way to reduce packaging waste. • What are the items that people buy and throw away the most? Consider putting them in order for characteristics like physical volume (how much space do they take up?) or sheer number of items used. LAB SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT YOUR RESEARCH 2 How To Guide • What are the most expensive items people in the lab are purchasing? How often are they purchased and who is weighing in on those decisions? • What are the major waste streams for your lab? Consider organizing these by what goes in the landfill, recycling or other regulated waste streams (e.g., biohazardous, sharps, radioactive waste, etc). • Where are items stored in the lab and who has access to them? Tip: Sometimes people order new supplies without checking what they have first. Keeping everything in one place cuts down on wasted space and grant dollars. The goal of this team conversation will be to understand your own footprint more and identify opportunities for increased coordination and efficiency between lab members. Different lab members likely have different practices around waste and purchasing. By talking together, you may start to notice opportunities for bulk purchasing, safe waste disposal practices, improved inventorying or strengthening communication. Remember, it’s important to come to this conversation from a place of curiosity and not be judgmental or critical of current practices. Kick your meeting off with a gentle reminder that you’re all on the same team. 2. Update your inventories Updating and maintaining an inventory of lab supplies and equipment is one of the simplest and most effective ways to improve efficiency in your lab. Sure, there are benefits for sustainability when it comes to using what you have, but it’s also generally a best practice for cost-effective use of grant dollars. There are so many platforms for inventorying now, ranging from very simple (e.g., Excel or Google Sheets) to more sophisticated (e.g., Quartzy), that can meet your needs, but the most effective inventory is the one that you regularly use. Make sure that responsibilities for maintaining your inventories are clear in your group. Is just one person responsible for that or is it a group endeavor? How on top of updating the inventory is your lab? A biweekly calendar reminder or lab meeting agenda item might be a nice way to build this practice into your lab’s culture. 3. Identify energy efficiency opportunities While you’re baselining about waste and purchasing, engage your group to understand what equipment they’re using. Often, laboratory equipment may go through seasons of high utilization and then you might not touch it for a year. Given the energy footprint of lab equipment, it’s valuable to take the time to understand what opportunities for efficiency you have in your lab. Remember, every lab is different and it’s important that you work as a team to facilitate open conversation. Here are some questions to get you started: • What pieces of equipment do your lab members use? How frequently do you use them (daily, weekly, monthly)? Tip: If this information is hard to come by or you share equipment, consider creating a usage log to track how frequently equipment is utilized. • How often do your lab members share equipment across different labs or use core facilities at your institution? How accessible is that equipment? Can you use it when you need it? Tip: Check out the BETR Grants website to learn more about the benefits of equipment sharing. • What energy efficiency settings does your equipment have? Are there standby modes? Can you turn equipment off between uses? Can you re-evaluate temperature set points? LAB SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT YOUR RESEARCH 3 How To Guide Tip: See here for more information about changing your ultra-low temperature unit setpoints to -70°C. Tip: It is always best practice to engage your equipment supplier about energy efficiency settings or programming new set points. 4. Talk to your suppliers! Now that you have an idea of what your footprint and inventories look like, it’s a great time to engage with your suppliers to understand what options they offer for more sustainable purchasing or waste management opportunities. This also lets them know how important those opportunities are to you and can shift the market in powerful ways long-term. Here are some questions you can ask them to kick off the conversation: • What are your company’s sustainability initiatives when it comes to waste reduction and energy efficiency? • How does your product catalog align with standards like the ACT Label and EnergyStar? • Can you tell me more about the life cycle of this product? Is it recyclable and/or manufactured with recycled materials? • What are some ways that you as a vendor give back to the community and support environmental justice initiatives? • Is there an option for me to provide feedback about this item? I’d really like to get the ball rolling on identifying more sustainable options. • I’d encourage you to share your ideas with your suppliers. What are some of the items you use most frequently that you wish there were more sustainable alternatives for? This is helpful information for lab supply companies as they continue to innovate solutions. 5. Stay up to date on safety protocols One of the surest ways to increase efficiency and sustainability in your laboratory is to invest in safety. Avoided accidents equals avoided waste of well-being, resources or time. It’s important to consult with your institution’s health and safety professionals to make sure you’re in alignment with their standards to discuss any new sustainability opportunities you might be interested in exploring, especially around waste reduction. Many waste streams coming out of labs are highly regulated and it’s important to avoid trying to recycle items that you wish were recyclable even if they aren’t actually recyclable, a practice known as wish-cycling. The effects of wish-cycling can be incredibly dangerous in labs, as recycling or custodial personnel aren’t prepared to work with dangerous waste streams such as radioactive, biohazardous or chemical waste. While it may feel frustrating that you can’t recycle everything you want to or think should be recyclable, it’s important for your community’s safety that you follow all the prescribed regulations that your institution’s health and safety professionals promote for regulated waste disposal. Work with them closely to ensure that you are recycling safely and disposing of all waste as recommended. In working with them and refreshing yourself on standards, you’ll also probably get a reminder to keep chemical fume hood sashes closed when not in use as recommended by the American National Standard Institute (ANSI) Z9.5. By keeping sashes closed, you’ll protect yourself and others. LAB SUSTAINABILITY STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT YOUR RESEARCH 4 How To Guide You also might be saving a lot of energy, depending on the type of fume hood you have in your facility. A variable air volume (VAV) fume hood can use as much energy as 3.5 households in a single day when left open. Keeping your fume hood sash closed is beneficial for sustainability and safety! 6. Connect with your community! While I’m lucky to have worked with researchers for some time, I am always learning new things because each lab I encounter has a unique scope, footprint and culture. So while I encourage you to engage with sustainability professionals within your organization, I also strongly suggest reaching out to your peers and plugging into the national and international lab sustainability conversations. Let your peers know you care about sustainability! There are so many ways to do this, so I encourage you to find what feels comfortable to you. You could start by calling up a peer at another institution and asking what their experience with lab sustainability is. You could emulate some of the labs I work with and incorporate your commitment to sustainability into your slides at your next conference or presentation. The goal is to build momentum behind the conversation and share what you’re learning and exploring in your sustainability journey. You might find that together you’re able to come up with something innovative that changes the game for everyone! Explore the larger network If you’re talking to your peers, you’ll probably hear about My Green Lab and the International Institute for Sustainable Labs (I2SL), two major hubs for sustainable laboratory research resources. Both offer conferences, summits, trainings and website resources that can help you connect with other people like you. For me, the free Ambassador training from My Green Lab and the International Freezer Challenge are two go-tos for helping folks dip their toes into the world of lab sustainability. We need everyone Ultimately, when we’re talking about making scientific research more sustainable, we’re really talking about shifting the culture of an entire industry that has a monumental environmental footprint. Changing culture can be slow and difficult, but many hands make light work. Researchers have a unique opportunity to make a huge difference by doing something as simple as closing a fume hood sash or pioneering a new process that bypasses additional waste generation. Whether your contribution to sustainability is big or small, it matters and you are a welcome addition to a community that wants to support you every step of the way! About the author: Fiona Hogan Bradford is the Sustainable Labs Project Associate for the University of Virginia’s Office for Sustainability. With a decade of experience working in higher education, Fiona is passionate about the role these institutions can play in driving innovation and educating the next generation of sustainability leaders. Much of her work is focused on centering equity, diversity and accessibility when implementing technical sustainability solutions. Sponsored by