Smarter procurement for sustainable science
Andy reminded us to bring our scientific smarts with us when buying and using equipment with sustainability in mind. The required performance of any piece of kit should be defined before anything else - it's the most important thing.
Then you can think about energy issues, how the equipment will be used in lab workflows, the footprint of equipment supply chains... all factors which can come into your sustainability calculations. Look carefully at the equipment comparisons suppliers provide and ask to see the data. Don't get greenwashed into thinking that if it looks eco-friendly, it is eco-friendly.
There’s guidance available
In addition to advisers such as Andy, organisations such as the Royal Society of Chemistry and UKRI have some useful information. The RSC’s 'The Sustainability of Science: How Science Impacts the Environment, and What Can Be Done' (available via open access) is a valuable guide with an excellent chapter from Andy on sustainable purchasing and operations. UKRI is developing standards on sustainable research alongside international funders such as Wellcome (take a look at its SPARKHub pilot).
The BioEscalator is delighted to say that we've been awarded silver LEAF (Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework; a sustainability standard) accreditation for the second year running. We’re aiming for gold next year with all this great guidance!
PS Questions 1 & 3 are about greenwashing. For Q2, the more organised your freezer, the easier samples are to find and the less time spent with the door open!
This is what Andy said after the seminar:
This is exactly the kind of work I love doing — helping teams understand their equipment, their energy use, and the practical steps that make a real difference.
Sustainability isn’t about buying the “greenest‑looking” thing; it’s about knowing what you need, checking the data, and designing systems that support good science.