{"id":37889,"date":"2021-05-12T13:07:00","date_gmt":"2021-05-12T20:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/?p=37889"},"modified":"2025-08-04T17:39:05","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T00:39:05","slug":"how-to-reduce-waste-in-the-laboratory","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/sv\/the-beaker-blog\/how-to-reduce-waste-in-the-laboratory\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Reduce Waste in the Laboratory"},"content":{"rendered":"\n \n \n

It\u2019s no secret that laboratories produce a lot of waste. In fact, it’s estimated that every year the plastic waste alone from labs could cover an area 23x the size of Manhattan\u00a0ankle deep. And while much of this waste is hazardous, a lot of it isn’t – anything that can be thrown in the trash has the potential to have a different end of life.<\/p>\n

Below, we\u2019ve outlined a variety of ways for you to reduce waste in the lab starting today!<\/p>\n

Conduct a Waste Audit<\/h3>\n

When it comes to lab waste, one of the most important things to understand is exactly what you\u2019re discarding. To do that, we recommend conducting a waste audit. Start by taking note of what it is that you throw away – not just in your waste bin, but in your recycle bins and solvent waste containers, as well. If you\u2019re able to get an understanding of what you\u2019re throwing away, and how you\u2019re throwing it away, it will help prioritize what you can change.<\/p>\n

To conduct a waste audit, record what you have thrown away in your waste bin and your recycling bin at the end of a week\u00a0 – separate out and note the things that were thrown in the waste bin that should have been recycled, and vice versa. In doing so, you\u2019ll understand if people are wasting properly (and help you determine if you need new or different sized bins or better signage). Additionally, you\u2019ll develop an understanding of what products you\u2019re throwing a lot of away. Do you throw away a ton of gloves, pipette tips, and pipette tip boxes? Once this is determined, you will know what your biggest waste streams are, which will help you develop a plan to minimize this waste by\u00a0eliminating, reducing, reusing, or recycling<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Reduce Product Usage<\/h3>\n

There are a variety of ways to reduce product usage in your lab, including the below strategies:<\/p>\n

Contact your suppliers<\/h4>\n

Get in touch with your suppliers and let them know that a specific product is creating a lot of waste in your lab, and ask them if they have alternatives that generate less waste. Even if they don\u2019t offer a solution, your feedback will let the supplier know the importance of waste reduction and help them start designing differently. In the end, you can almost always find a new supplier or product that produces less waste in your lab.<\/p>\n

Ask your colleagues<\/h4>\n

Internally, your colleagues at your university or within your company may have alternatives they\u2019re using that create less waste. Start a conversation to create best practice sharing tips!<\/p>\n

Additionally, the My Green Lab Ambassador program network is a great resource for best practice sharing with lab professionals from around the world. Learn more about this program\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Research alternative methods<\/h4>\n

A great way to reduce waste is to look at the items you\u2019re throwing away and determine if there is a less wasteful option. Did you need to use that single-use item, or could you have worked with a reusable alternative? For example, single-use plastics are often used for preparing media solutions that then get sterilized later. Since sterilization is happening at the end of the preparation process, you can eliminate the single-use item and instead use a glass or reusable measuring device for preparing media.<\/p>\n

Reduce packaging & shipping<\/h4>\n

Scientific products use a lot of packaging, from boxes, to instructions, to double wrapping for sterile products, to shipping boxes with padding. Here are a few things to consider when addressing packaging waste:<\/p>\n