Lab sustainability certification programs are learning tools to help scientists identify changes that will reduce environmental impacts and conserve resources. A key feature of these programs is that they can help research institutions reach sustainability goals without undermining the autonomy of academic lab teams. The catch is that only a minority of labs volunteer to participate. This month, I’m summarizing two recent studies that examined scientists’ perceptions of the benefits and pitfalls of using common programs and offered suggestions on how to improve them.
Let’s recognize Scientists’ contribution to Greening labs
Life science research is both rewarding and highly competitive. The higher purpose is to advance medicine, agriculture, and industrial processes, and to preserve organisms and our environment. Academic research plays a vital role in innovation. Academia contributed to over a quarter of all medicines approved from 2001 through 2019 (1). Managing lab equipment, chemicals and reagents, waste, energy, and water use are ancillary to the primary objective of principal investigator-led lab groups.
Cheers to the scientists who investigated the utility and outcomes of lab certification programs, and all those who undertook the evaluations and made lab improvements! Further, let’s recognize that sustainable lab work is always context-dependent on available supports and infrastructure. Many research institutions now offer basic guidance for lab groups to conserve energy and reduce waste often provided by environmental health and safety (EHS) or sustainability offices. Green networks also support best practices for sustainability in life science labs. We owe gratitude to eco-friendly scientists, engineers, and sustainability-minded lab support professionals who developed the best practices available in the guidance today.
Two Reports offer A BIRD’ Eye View OF Using Green Lab Programs
Two recent studies led by biologists and chemists found that participating in lab greening certifications produced real improvements. At the same time, both sets of authors cautioned that there are blind spots underlying low adoption rates. To co-opt the language used by the authors from the first paper spotlighted below, these studies signify “reality checks”.
The goal of the first study, Bianca R. Schell and Nico Bruns. Lab sustainability programs LEAF and My Green Lab®: impact, user experience & suitability (2024) RSC Sustainability, was to help individual scientists identify the best-fit program for their wet lab. Features of the two programs were detailed side-by-side and 59 (mostly) biologists and chemists using these programs in Germany were surveyed for feedback. The findings were developed into a decision tree. The bird eye view is the choice between prioritized general standards (LEAF) or detailed and device-specific standards (My Green Lab). The authors concluded that both programs were powerful tools, however, they urged the release of an open-access program and clear regulations from funding agencies for minimum standards. Authors Schell and Bruns also suggested that research institutions allocate appropriate funding for greening initiatives and staff working time.
The primary conclusion of the second study, Michael Padget et al. Environmental Impact, Cost, and Acceptability of a Laboratory Sustainability Certification Program for Biomedical Research in an Academic Medical Center (2024) The Journal of Climate Change and Health, was that the My Green Lab certification program is a practical and cost-effective tool for formalizing green initiatives in biomedical labs in an academic research setting.
The study is especially meaningful since these medical school researchers have direct stakes in protecting the environment. (By researchers, I mean both the end users in the labs and the co-authors involved in this study.) Environmental pollutants impact cancer, heart, and other diseases and disorders. Lead author, Michael Padget, Ph.D., is an epidemiologist, health policy analyst, and researcher at the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Center for the Environment and Health. The Center has a mission to integrate sustainability into MGH’s clinical, research, and educational activities to improve the environmental health of the hospital and the well-being of the communities it serves. The Center releases excellent webinars on climate and healthcare topics for physicians, scientists, and researchers. Also, MGH has a green lab consultation team available to its researchers.
For this feasibility study, five diverse biomedical research labs piloted My Green Lab certification. Scientists made the greatest improvements in energy use and waste handling at the benchtop. The waste audit findings by the participating labs inspired a “Waste Summit” to incorporate sustainability considerations across multiple departments and training for new lab members. Opening the lines of communication between facilities engineers and researchers was another positive outcome. Interestingly, questionnaire results by anonymous scientists in this study identified that 30-40 minutes during a workday was an acceptable threshold burden to generate a 50-75% reduction in carbon dioxide emissions.
What did MGH researchers take away from the experience? In consensus with the results from the study performed in Germany, the investigators from MGH also called out that excluding labs without financial means to buy the program was an urgent barrier. Accomplishing My Green Lab program guidance relied on uncompensated time from lab members who already had full workloads and research priorities. Energy savings to the institution from energy and waste changes under the control of scientists at the benchtop could offset some of the costs of accessing and implementing the program. (Pointedly, just taking the step to increase the temperature of ultra low temp freezers to -70C produced significant cost savings.) Finally, the authors also called for peer-reviewed research on the impact of sustainability interventions on research quality.
building ConSensus
Scientists in academia are driving environmental improvements and lowering running costs using the My Green Lab and LEAF certification programs. The growth of the green labs movement has been amazing! More labs have engaged because of proven guidance has eliminated risks. Now, the question is how can green labs gain more traction. The authors of these recent program evaluations in academic settings suggest that some form of compensation for the time commitment by participating lab members would be helpful. Conducting waste and energy audits and implementing changes is work. The time frame of certification programs seems important. For a lab member to commit thirty minutes each day is no small feat when you’re racing to make discoveries and compete for research funding. Both studies called for open-access tools with lab best practices and in-house communication programs to inform and support scientists in academic lab settings. Overall, ecofriendly scientists found earning lab certifications feasible, given the right support.
References:
Kinch MS, Horn C, Kraft Z, Schwartz T. Rising Academic Contributions to Drug Development: Evidence of Vigor or Trauma? (2020) ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci PMID: 34723140
Bianca R. Schell and Nico Bruns. Lab sustainability programs LEAF and My Green Lab®: impact, user experience & suitability (2024) RSC Sustainability DOI:10.1039/D4SU00387
Michael Padget et al. Environmental Impact, Cost, and Acceptability of a Laboratory Sustainability Certification Program for Biomedical Research in an Academic Medical Center (2024) The Journal of Climate Change and Health DOI:10.1016/j.joclim.2024.100401
Read More About Greening Life Science Laboratory Work…
Congratulations to a Passion in Science Winner!
New England Biolab’s Passion in Science Awards recognize the accomplishments of “unsung heroes” in the scientific community, who are dedicated to their cause. Hearty congratulations to winner Martin Farley, LEAF program pioneer, and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Associate Director of Environmental Sustainability Programmes!
You can watch Martin’s talk addressing the urgency of environmental sustainability in research and considerations moving forward by clicking below. Onwards!
