The Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute is proud to receive accreditation for its first Green Lab.
Its Diabetes and Vascular Medicine group, headed by Professor Alicia Jenkins, has been recognised for its work in building a greener lab by a global NFP organisation aimed at improving the sustainability of scientific research.
My Green Lab is one of several global programs looking to embed best practice when it comes to laboratory sustainability.
The group has been taking part in the ‘My Green Lab’ program, which is run “for scientists, by scientists”. The program is recognised by the United Nations Race to Zero campaign as a key measure of progress towards a zero-carbon future.
Most recently, our researchers have been implementing improvement strategies such as conducting a simple audit of the types and quantities of waste being produced in the lab; notifying colleagues where there are excess materials to share; and trying out ‘greener’ chemicals.
They were, however, pleased to find that the Institute already has many green initiatives and practices in place.
As well as achieving certification, Professor Jenkins is also a My Green Labs ambassador. That means she is part of a global community of green lab enthusiasts who have been educated and empowered to bring green lab principles into their work and research.
She hopes this achievement will pave the way for other labs to participate in this program, which encourages assessment of sustainability practices and improvements — often small, practical grassroots changes — that can be made.
Institute Director, Professor Tom Marwick says we know labs are resource-intensive spaces that consume much more energy and water than office spaces and contribute to significant plastic waste each year.
“That’s why we welcome sustainability initiatives like this that encourage greener practices and self-analysis to deliver even small changes that can make a big difference, “ Professor Marwick says.
