Simple Things Everyone can do Today
Working in the Natural Sciences, you just can't help but notice the amount of waste we produce on a daily basis.
No matter if you are a Master Student, PhD, Post-Doc, PI or Technician, you have the power to start changing things today.
Energy
- Make sure your fume hoods are shut. These are some of the most energy intensive machines in the lab.
- Only keep you freezers open for as long as necessary. The best way to do this is to manage your freezer library.
- Turn off lights when leaving a room
- Turn off machines when not in use
- Label equipment with “turn me off” stickers - we recommend: "Turn me off before you GO GO"
- Turn off or hibernate your computers at the end of each day
- Turn off heatblocks if they are not in use
- Don't leave the PCR cycler running at 4°C overnight. If you have to leave, ask someone to take out your samples.
Waste
- Place a scrap paper bin near the printer(s)
- Recycle office supplies - e.g. paper, return unused toner to the supplier
- Figure out what your consumables are mede of, and how they can be recycled.
- Figure out which consumables can be reused if properly washed/sterilized.
- Re-use gloves where possible
- Avoid ordering single items. Coordinate with other labs and merge orders to avoid excess packaging and multiple deliveries.
Water
- Don't start the autoclave half empty. Go around and ask people if the want to add something. Autoclaves use up to 200L of water per cycle.
- The same goes for the dishwashers (both lab and kitchen)
- If you have access to it, use an motor-driven vacuum pump instead of a water-jet pump. These use up to 15L per minutes