Laboratories consume an enormous amount of energy: a fume cupboard consumes as much energy as 3.5 single family houses, -80°C freezers as much as a single family house, large instruments such as NMR as much as three single family houses. And then there are many other large and small pieces of equipment used in everyday laboratory work – all of which add up to high running costs. At the same time, there is enormous potential to save resources and reduce costs. In this workshop you will learn about the biggest energy consumers and best practices for reducing your own energy consumption.

Seminar Goals

• Learn about energy saving opportunities in the laboratory
• Learn about best practice examples that laboratories have already implemented
• Gain inspiration for your own work
• Get background information, data and facts about small and large energy consumers
• Develop your own ideas to start immediately

Target audience

Laboratory staff and anyone interested in realising potential savings in the laboratory.

 

Workshop Information

• online or on-site
• duration: 2 hours

According to a study [1], life science laboratories generate 5.5 million tonnes of plastic waste each year. But how can the amount of plastic be reduced? After all, pipette tips cannot be replaced, sterile materials are a must in cell culture to avoid contamination, and the use of plastic materials is convenient and saves time in the hectic daily laboratory routine. But there are now a number of solutions. Based on the 6 R’s (Refuse, Reuse, Recycle, Replace and Rethink), best practice tips and possible solutions for everyday life are presented. Manufacturers of plastic laboratory materials are also aware of the problem and more and more products made from “bioplastics” are appearing on the market. This topic will also be covered in the workshop, as there are major differences here too. Bio-based plastics are made up of different materials that have different environmental impacts and carbon footprints. After the workshop you will be able to classify them better and decide on the most environmentally friendly option.

[1] Urbina, M., Watts, A. & Reardon, E. Labs should cut plastic waste too. Nature 528, 479 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/528479c

Seminar Goals

• Learn about the options for reducing or replacing plastics in the laboratory
• Receive best practice examples that laboratories have already implemented
• Gain background information, data and facts about alternative bio-based plastic materials
• Develop your own ideas to start immediately

Target audience

Laboratory staff and anyone interested in realising savings potential in the laboratory.

 

Workshop Information

• online or on-site
• duration: 3 hours