Biologists should be aware of two trends related to this update from My Green Lab. First, lab sustainability accreditations have emerged as requirements in research grant funding policies, and second, government regulators have raised the bar across the board for green claims and certifications to overcome a loss in public trust.

It’s always exciting when a maverick hits the mark. The first polylactic acid (PLA) Petri dish product is a one-to-one replacement for labs using fossil fuel-based plastic plates for cell culture. The maker, a small privately owned company called Diversified Biotech, Inc., collaborated with researchers from Brandeis University to develop it. Fostering eco-justice with a simple swap sounds good, but could this specialized PLA material even improve cell culture?

If ultraviolet light decontamination is not supported for class II biosafety cabinets in BSL-2 labs, and UV bulbs consume so much energy, why are most new BSC cabinets still ordered with UV lamps? Spoiler alert: some burgeoning bioscience applications require it, and fortunately, there are some options to improve its sustainability.

Drosophila researchers around the world have taken steps to green their lab operations while maintaining good laboratory practices. These efforts include preventing material waste, energy conservation, and leveraging the attributes of this model organism to reduce the need for testing in mammalians. We hope you are inspired by the initiatives of these green labs!

UV decontamination lighting has been incorporated into biosafety cabinets for decades, and persistently over-relied on for decades in cell culture work. Green labs are removing UV lamps from biosafety hoods to eliminate risks and save energy. It’s a simple action that overcomes energy waste in the right setting.

Signage is an important tool for turning lab initiatives into established lab culture. A sign shows the path to sustainability. The types of signs typically used in lab facilities can come in the form of posters, stickers/decals, and digital, or even three-dimensional displays. No matter which format, it’s good to know best practices.