The problem with sustainability in research
Did you know that -80°C freezers can use as much energy as a household? Or that a single fume hood can use more energy than 3 households combined?
Research institutions generate a lot of waste and consume a lot of energy. Biomedical research alone drains up to ten times the energy of commercial counterparts
Laboratories also contribute up to 2% of all the world’s single-use plastics. Falcon tubes, Eppendorfs, tips, tip boxes and flasks are all examples of single plastics that we use on a daily basis.
Read more about Plastic Waste in Scientific Research.
About Us
Greening LMS are a group of staff and students at the LMS dedicated to improving sustainability within the institute. Founded by Ph.D. student Rebeca Fiadero in 2019, now headed by Dr. Hannah Gleneadie. Greening LMS is made up of, volunteers from across the institute including estates, finance and GECo, along with PostDocs and PhD students, who work to put sustainability into practice.
Our mission is to ensure the LMS’ carbon footprint is as low as possible without impacting the quality of research.
Our Successes
We have made significant achievements at the LMS including:
- Acquiring funding for a Full Time Sustainability Officer.
- Winning the LEAF Silver Award
- Winning awards for glassware, Cheminventory, engagement projects
- Awarded £65,000 for greening projects
Click here to find out more about our projects
Want to get involved?
We still have lots to do, and one of our main ambitions is to win the Gold LEAF award. There are many ways you can engage with us to help us make our research sustainable.
- Joining Greening LMS – We are all full-time staff/students and know that it can be tricky to fit any additional volunteering in. You can get involved in whatever projects you are interested in – any time you are willing to give is greatly appreciated!
- Let us know what you think- We welcome any suggestions you may have on how to improve what we are doing currently. Feel free to get in touch with Nicola Rodricks.
- Become a Lab Green Champion – Email Nicola Rodricks to find out how you can support your lab in becoming more sustainable.
- Engage with our top tips for making your research Sustainable – Practice sustainability at the LMS with our top tips. We also host several events throughout the year, so look out to get involved in these one-off activities.
Greening LMS News
Introducing the LMS’s first Sustainability Officer
LMS secures funding to support sustainability projects
4 ways that we are making our labs more sustainable
Resources by Greening LMS
Resources from other Institutes
