Sustainability in Medical Research

Medical research labs have many functions that they have to use day in and day out, so it may seem like there aren’t as many ways to run your lab with an eye on sustainability. After all, there are only so many lightbulbs you can switch out. At some point, you’re looking at changing the way you operate—and that’s just not always feasible.

At Lifecycle Biotechnologies, we’ve been supplying products and services to medical labs for years, and we know what it takes to operate a lab efficiently and effectively and we want to talk about options for sustainability in your research lab.

There are simple techniques in the lab that you can use to accomplish a surprising amount of energy savings.

• Turn off equipment like centrifuges, water baths, balances, and other small appliances when not in use. An easy way to remember to do this is by labeling equipment that should be powered down with a simple “turn me off” sticker.

• Keep your freezer organized. By doing so, you’ll limit the number of times, and for how long, the door is opened—decreasing energy use and increasing the life of the freezer. You’ll also have more room and an organized freezer is better for anyone trying to find what they need. An annual or biannual freezer cleanout will help you in this regard by getting rid of unnecessary samples and supplies.

• Educate staff about the most efficient use of the autoclave and make sure that only required items are being autoclaved.

But you can also work on the sustainability of your lab with your purchases.

• When making new purchases, look for energy efficient appliances. The cost up front may be offset in the long run by the money you save in energy costs and they support a more sustainable lab environment.

• You should also examine which processes in your lab cost you the most in energy. You might want to think about outsourcing certain lab services that you know are costly, but don’t necessarily have to be done in-house. Outsourcing them to a company that specializes in performing these lab services efficiently can end up saving you money while helping to create a more sustainable lab.

• Also, take another look at the supplies that you buy for your lab. Not every supplier is the same and many have more environmentally friendly products and services. For instance, many companies use plastic or glass bottles to store and ship reagents and solutions. At Chata Biosystems, the custom engineered packaging solutions can largely eliminate your need for these plastic or glass bottles and reduce your trash by 84%.

Chata’s reagents and solutions are packaged in custom bags instead of bottles. Not only are they better for the environment and take less energy to produce, but they reduce the amount of waste that you dispose of after using them. It doesn’t just provide environmental benefits for your lab. The environmentally friendly packaging also provides a more microbiological-controlled process.

It really is possible to make changes to your medical research lab in order to create a more sustainable work environment and it doesn’t have to involve sacrifices in the quality or quantity of your work. To learn more about Lifecycle Biotechnologies and our environmentally friendly options for lab supplies and services, give us a call today.