Measures in the laboratory

Keeping laboratory extractor hoods closed reduces the amount of air transported in modern devices. It is also recommended that air volumes are reduced – where possible – in zones/rooms that are not in use. If special changes to the ventilation settings have been agreed in your laboratories, they can – following consultation with the Occupational and Environmental Safety Unit – be modified in the central control system by the Facility Management Division.

A few questions can provide guidance here: Are all the devices really needed or can the number be reduced? Is the space used to optimum effect? And can old samples or those which are no longer required be disposed of? Do e.g. DNA and RNA samples have to be cooled or can they also be stored at room temperature? 

Raising the temperature of fridges and freezers significantly reduces energy consumption. Each working group should therefore review whether the cooling temperatures for their samples can be raised. Practical laboratory experience gained at other universities has shown that it is possible to store frozen samples (less than 5 years old) at -70°C or even at just -20°C instead of -80°C.

Remove any ice that has built up on a regular basis as this saves energy. It also helps to check and clean seals and filters frequently.

The various devices in laboratories in particular consume significant amounts of energy – so they should always be switched off when not in use. You should also review whether it is really necessary to buy new devices.

Ensuring buildings are no longer used later in the evening, at night or at weekends saves energy. Scaling of experiments should also be re-considered. Perhaps smaller-scale experiments that use less energy and fewer materials can be carried out instead. What can be re-used or exchanged afterwards? This reduces the need to make new purchases.

Clever coordination of chemical storage and orders helps reduce wastage, as does sharing/passing materials on to other research groups. You should also keep an eye on expiry dates and only order new materials when the existing ones have been used up. It’s easy to maintain an overview if you keep an inventory of all consumables. Various working groups can also cooperate to make optimum use of consumables.

Here’s a simple guideline: It is sustainable to reduce single-use items, packaging material and laboratory waste, replace toxic/harmful chemicals with harmless substances where possible and only purchase efficient, more sustainable and durable devices and tools in the future.