Reduce Experiments
We approach every project with a scarcity mind-set. It is important to plan before acting.
- Look through published literature - for methods, advancements, identical experiments
- Look through your old data carefully - Is this new experiment really needed to fill a knowledge gap?
- Can the data be predicted via modeling?
- Make sure you design the experiment well and write good protocols
- Think carefully, get experts to review before acting
- Decrease the number of experiments or repeats - What is the minimum number of experiments?
- Make sure every repeat is a good one. Make sure your equipment is properly calibrated and that you have been properly trained on the protocols
- Seek advice on your experimental plan before acting
- do a careful design of experiments instead of single variable testing
- Downsize your experiment - What is the minimum size/volume for the experiment?
- Can you use a 0.5mL Eppendorf tube instead of 1.5mL
- Can you use a 96 well plate instead of many cuvettes?
- Use smaller plastic items whenever possible, e.g. syringe filters instead of bottletop filters
- (if applicable) Add the data to a modeling database and share with colleagues/public for future use
Plan experiments to reduce single-use items
- Prepare master mix to reduce tips
- Organize experimental layouts to use the minimum number of tubes and plates
- Use 96-well plates instead of Eppendorf’s for serial dilutions in experiments with several dilutions/conditions
- Divide the agar plate in parts (more than one condition per plate)
- Use the same tips for the same condition
Use lines and drop technique for experiments with bacterial serial dilutions
- Roslin Institute, University of Edinburgh Case Study
Non-pyrogenic vs autoclaved lab plastics
- When possible use in-house autoclaved tips (with reused tip boxes and without plastic wrapping) instead of filtered tips
- For work that does not need to be non-pyrogenic or RNA/DNA-free, use autoclaved tubes (sterile and reused)
Create Reagents and materials in-house
Pre-made kits can be a time-saver, but extremely wasteful.
Consider pouring your own DNA electrophoresis gels. It’s not difficult and the glass plates can be reused over and over again.
Make your own media from powder.
Make your own buffer solutions or from tablets.
Prepare your reagents and solutions only as required, avoid all unnecessary steps, it is important to take your time to pre-plan an experiment to avoid taking extra/unnecessary steps. For homemade solutions try extending the expiry date.
Filters
Instead of filtering cell culture media through single use filter flasks, filter fetal bovine serum through a 50 ml syringe.
Balancing Centrifuges
Reuse your water balance tubes. Mark them clearly, so they can be used again and again.
Better yet, balance without an extra tube using these smart configurations:
Autoclave Tape
You don’t need large amounts of autoclave tape. Just a a little dab (about an inch long) is sufficient. You just need enough to see the item has successfully reached the right temperature.
Labels
Reduce plastic used for labelling by wiping labels with ethanol and reusing them whenever possible.
Cut labels in half to reduce material use while keeping them functional.
This is especially effective for tubes, plates, and bottles that stay within the same experiment or workflow.
Foil
Aluminum is very easy and efficient to recycle. Look to arrange tin foil recycling in our lab, especially if it is not contaminated, or post-autoclave.
Reuse old pasta sauce/jam jars for autoclaving to reduce plastic beakers and cover foil.
Photo credit: Majken Siersbæk
Save what you don’t use
- Cut the unused lanes off agarose gels and saving them for future use. You can stabilize half an agarose gel in a gel box pretty well with a pipette tip
** We don’t even bother to cut off the other lanes. Just label which lanes have been used on the cling-wrap we use to store them.
Electronic Lab Notebook
ELabFTW - free open source if you host yourself. For paid hosting its, 760 € - 3000 €/ yr
SciNote - Free up to 10GB, or self host (Repository)
OpenBis
Lab Folder - Free for Academics
eLab Journal - $ 15.55 /user/ month
LabArchives
Benchling
BIOVIA Notebook
Hivebench
IDBS E-WorkBook
LabCollector
Labguru
Labii
Labstep
LabWare
Mbook
OpenLab
PerkinElmer Signals Notebook
RSpace
OneNote/EverNote/Notion - not specifically made for science, but can definitely be used.
Procurement/Purchasing
More information can be found on our Sustainable Procurement page, but below are some quick tips.
Before buying something, check out our Share/Donate/Buy section to see if another lab may have spare or unused/underused equipment or consumables.
Buy smallest quantities needed. If a supplier has larger quantities than you need, contact them to see if they can send you a sample.
Make sure your organization has a Sustainable Procurement/Purchasing policy.
Choose suppliers committed to sustainability
Opt for suppliers who have a clear commitment to sustainability and incorporate it into their business and manufacturing practices. Ask to see the life cycle analysis of products.
Choose suppliers with less packaging
Opt for suppliers who use reusable packaging. Find out if their packaging is recyclable or if they have packaging take-back programs.
Choose packaging with as little ink as possible
The de-inking stage of recycling requires a large quantity of chemicals and the ink from the packaging contributes to chemical waste.
Choose alternatives that can be shipped at room temperatures (without ice packs, polystyrene or dry ice)
e.g. ThermoFisher Scientific has room temperature Taq polymerase and DNA analysis primers
e.g. NEB has thermostable, ambient storage polymerases, DNA ladders and protein standards.
The bonus is that, once received, these do not need to be stored in a fridge/freezer - saving you room and energy.
Other questions to ask
- Are there less hazardous alternatives?
- Made with recycled content?
- Made with toxic or carcinogenic components?
- Can be recycled by your current waste processes?
- Made with reduced plastic?
- Sent with reduced packaging?
- Without polystyrene?
- Reusable?
- Bisphenol A free? Dioxine free?
- Mercury free? Phatahlte plasticizer free?
- Polyvinyl choloride free? (Incineration releases PVC dioxins)
- Halogenated organic flame retardants? (<1000ppm?)
- Closed loop recycling?
- Is it made locally? (Look for local suppliers)
Where to find more sustainable products
Energy Star
Labconscious - Database of eco-friendly products
Millipore Sigma - Greener Alternative Products
- Green Your Lab has interviewed MilliporeSigma. Their calculations and audit policies are all open source and allow for every user (including you) to understand how and why these ~1000 products were selected out of their extensive catalogue.
ACT - Sustainability nutrition label
- Green Your Lab has interviewed ACT. Auditing is done by neutral third party and covers the manufacturing impact, the packaging, user impact in energy and water consumption, and disposal.
Labconscious has a list of what they’ve decided of Green products
Combine orders
Combine orders with other labs to reduce the amount of packing waste and delivery carbon footprint.
Perhaps set a minimum purchase bar of $100 -$200.
Disposal
Try to dispose of your waste as “offensive” instead of “clinical”. This reduces the temperature needed for incineration.
Always discuss with your HS&E and waste hauler first, but many biological lab wastes can be disposed of in normal waste streams after decontamination
Below are some sample protocols. Again please check with your HS&E and waste hauler before acting.
Liquid Waste
Biological liquid waste can often be safely disposed of down the drain (sanitary sewer) by pouring it under running water. Before disposal, the waste should be decontaminated using either an autoclave or chemical methods. After the disposal process, it is important to thoroughly rinse and disinfect the sink used. Chemical decontamination can be achieved by using a biocidal disinfectant like PRESEPT™, which contains NaDCC (troclosene sodium) and provides protection against various organisms, including MRSA, HIV, Hepatitis B, and Herpes viruses. Denatured blood can be discarded through a sluice or laboratory sink with ample water. If any solids are too large for the laboratory sink, they should be disposed of as biological waste.
Solid Waste
Biological waste that has been decontaminated through methods such as autoclaving, chemical disinfection, or other appropriate decontamination techniques can often be labeled and disposed of as non-biohazardous/non-infectious waste in regular trash.
If an autoclave is available, the waste should be autoclaved in an autoclave bag, and autoclave indicator tape should be affixed to the bag. Place the autoclaved waste in a safe tray designated for autoclave use. After the autoclaving process is complete and the bag has cooled, drain any remaining liquid from the bag and seal it. Place the sealed waste in a box-bag unit for scheduled pickup. It is important not to pour liquefied agar media down the drain. Additionally, do not autoclave containers or receptacles that contain bleach. The combination of bleach, residual cotton, and oil (if autoclaves are not properly cleaned) can lead to explosive combustion within the autoclave.
Reusing from other sources
Chick-fil-A gave labs at the University of Arizona 5 gallon buckets that they resued to sort and collect certain types of recyclables
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