The Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) is an accreditation scheme designed to improve sustainability within higher education teaching and research. The scheme was established by UCL and encourages laboratories and institutes to implement sustainable practices, improve energy efficiency and consider sustainability in every aspect of research. Laboratories and institutes are awarded either a Bronze, Silver or Gold level depending on how many sustainability actions they take.

Our institute was awarded Silver LEAF accreditation in 2019, and we’ve been hard at work to gain Gold LEAF accreditation this year. This initiative has been driven forwards by Nicola Rodricks, our Sustainability Officer who was the first person appointed to this role at LMS in 2022, with support from the LMS Greening Committee members.

“Achieving Gold LEAF accreditation is a major milestone in our journey toward more sustainable and carbon neutral practices,” says Nicola, “We’re committed to cutting down our environmental footprint while preserving the quality of our scientific work. This award marks the start of an ongoing effort to lessen the environmental impact of our operations, focusing on reducing energy use and waste production.” 

Our efforts to achieve Gold LEAF accreditation have included: 

• Implementing Clustermarket, an online booking system, to streamline access to shared lab equipment and improve resource coordination. 

• Introducing ItemTracker to enhance sample storage efficiency, reducing freezer energy use by up to 70% and minimizing duplicate samples. 

• Installing automatic sash controllers on fume hoods, already achieving an 18% energy reduction by minimizing unnecessary airflow when hoods are idle. 

• Rolling out Clean Zero, a chemical-free cleaning solution using advanced water filtration, reducing chemical exposure and supporting eco-friendly lab practices. 

• Transitioning genetically modified autoclaved lab waste to an offensive waste route, ensuring zero waste to landfill and contributing to energy recovery. 

We’re delighted to have been awarded the Gold LEAF accreditation in recognition of our continuing efforts to meet our sustainability goals. 

Simon Pennell, Head of Research Environment says: “The award of Gold LEAF shows the commitment of the LMS to improving the sustainability of our research and infrastructure. Research is a resource intensive endeavour, and this is the first step in an ongoing programme of improvements to reduce our environmental impact whilst maintaining our scientific impact.”