Scientific labs are often magnets for waste with all the plastic and single-use items they throw away daily. If you’re looking for ways to reduce waste in your scientific lab, we have some helpful and environmentally friendly tips below!
Conducting a waste audit is a good place to start making your scientific lab greener and more environmentally friendly. A waste audit is like any other audit, but instead of tracking and recording expenses and finances, you record what you throw away and where daily and weekly.
This audit will give your lab valuable data about what you throw away, how much of each thing you throw away, how you throw it away, and opportunities for improvement. Are you throwing away a lot more gloves or pipettes than you thought? What are your lab’s biggest waste streams, and how can they be reduced?
Another tip for reducing waste in your scientific lab is to use refurbished equipment instead of brand-new instruments. Too often, lab instruments get discarded when they get older, even if they are still usable, to make way for newer options.
Reducing waste is just one of the many reasons to invest in used lab equipment! You can get quality equipment at a discounted price while reducing waste—it’s a win-win scenario for everyone.
Perhaps the biggest source of waste in a lab is packaging and shipping. Labs are frequently getting weekly or monthly packages that include supplies and a lot of packing waste like packing peanuts, Styrofoam, and plastic wrap.
But this packaging waste is easy to reduce with a few simple changes. Ask your supplier about ways to reduce packing waste, like consolidating orders or buying in bulk so there are fewer packages every year. Consider designating a lab employee to audit the packaging and supply strategy to reduce waste as much as possible.
Recycling is more than just putting certain items in the right bin; labs often do not utilize the full potential of local recycling programs. Many labs aren’t aware that there are often local recycling programs that recycle items that are often disposed of in lab settings, like plastic gloves and packaging.
Research the local waste managers in your area and ask about their recycling programs to see if they offer any that would apply to your lab’s waste.
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