The path to “green” is not always an easy one, especially for laboratories. By nature, laboratories are energy-intensive, with clinical laboratories using up to 10 times more energy than an equivalent-sized business. For example, a single piece of high-energy equipment such as the common ultralow temperature freezer can use as much energy per year as an entire household. At the same time, temperature stability in an ultralow temperature freezer is imperative, as are any backlog systems laboratories may have in place in case of power failure or an emergency.
So, how do you maintain a sustainable laboratory without compromising the quality of data? Experts at ELGA LabWater suggest focusing on three key areas that create a disproportionately sized impact: water consumption, plastic and paper waste and energy usage.
Water Consumption
Water conservation strategies in the lab are surprisingly simple, requiring little effort to implement but resulting in substantial results. For example, while pure and ultrapure water are essential in many laboratory workflows, these systems can sometimes be inefficient and generate large quantities of wastewater. When current systems reach the end of their life, laboratory personnel should look for new units that are equipped with efficient reverse osmosis systems that reduce wastewater. Elsewhere in the lab, be sure to run water-intense devices more efficiently. Here, dishwashers and autoclaves should only be used when they are full, which maximizes efficiency, lowers operating costs, and saves on both water and electricity use.
Plastic/Paper Waste
To minimize the risk of waste, consider replacing laborious and error-prone manual tasks with precision automation. Devices like liquid handling robots, PCR machines, chromatography platforms and incubators can help automate intricate workflows from end-to-end, reducing human error—and thus waste. One downside to adopting automation is that it can lead to more plastic waste if the lab significantly increases its experimental throughput as a result. But, lab personnel can help mitigate this risk by miniaturizing their protocols using specialized liquid handling robots. Additionally, in many cases, laboratory glassware is an effective replacement for single-use plasticware.
Energy Usage
As a function of its purpose, laboratory equipment often operates 24/7, resulting in abnormally high energy usage. Manufacturers, however, have become more cognizant of this and are now considering their products’ ecological impact when designing new models. If a system is at the end of its operational capacity, lab managers should look for updated models, which tend to be more energy efficient than their predecessors. Some newer devices even include a power saving or eco-friendly mode, which allows them to continue operations while consuming less energy and reduced CO2 emissions. Beyond overall energy efficiency, scientists should consider the materials used to create the instrument, equipment, consumable, etc., as well as the packaging materials sent with the product.
Working together, and with suppliers, laboratories can implement these practices to help bring about a more sustainable and resilient future for science.