{"id":68469,"date":"2026-03-31T15:49:32","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T22:49:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/?p=68469"},"modified":"2026-03-31T16:01:22","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T23:01:22","slug":"sustainability-guide-for-food-science-laboratories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/sv\/the-beaker-blog\/sustainability-guide-for-food-science-laboratories\/","title":{"rendered":"A sustainability guide for nutrition, food science, and sensory science laboratories"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<sc-container \n  theme=\"white\" \n  wrapper-size=\"lg\"\n  >\n\n  \n  \n<\/sc-container>\n\n\n\n  <sc-container \n    theme=\"white\" \n    wrapper-size=\"sm\"\n      >\n      <sc-rich-text  >\n    <h3 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"><strong>Food science labs make sustainable choices<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">If you work in a nutrition, food science, or sensory science laboratory, sustainability might not be the first thing on your mind, but policies are evolving in a way where it probably should be. Labs can consume up to five times more energy per square metre than a standard office, and the single-use plastics, food waste, and chemical disposal that come with the territory add up fast.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">That&#8217;s exactly why this practical, evidence-based guide was created and packed with actionable strategies you can start implementing today.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"><strong>Here&#8217;s a taste of what&#8217;s inside:<\/strong><\/h4>\n<ul class=\"[li_&amp;]:mb-0 [li_&amp;]:mt-1 [li_&amp;]:gap-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ul]:pb-1 [&amp;:not(:last-child)_ol]:pb-1 list-disc flex flex-col gap-1 pl-8 mb-3\">\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Cut energy costs<\/strong> by optimizing how and when your equipment runs; from freezers and ovens to sensory booths and HVAC systems<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Slash food and material waste<\/strong> with smarter ordering, composting systems, and reusable alternatives to single-use plastics<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Green your PPE and procurement<\/strong> by choosing sustainable suppliers and extending the life of lab clothing<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Engage your whole team<\/strong> with behavioral nudges, shared inventory systems, and community food redistribution initiatives<\/li>\n<li class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"><strong>Align with international standards<\/strong> \u2014 the guide maps directly to ISO 14001, ISO 22000, and ISO 14064, so your sustainability efforts count toward recognised benchmarks<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Research shows that structured food waste audits alone can reduce waste by up to 30%. Imagine what a whole-lab approach could achieve.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">Whether you&#8217;re just getting started or looking to formalize your green lab program, this guide gives you a clear roadmap. And to help you put it all into action straight away, it includes a <strong>ready-to-use sustainability checklist<\/strong> covering everything from clothing and equipment to energy, food waste, and ISO alignment, allowing you to start ticking off wins from day one.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"><strong>Meet the Author<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\">This guide was written by <strong>Dr Paula Conroy<\/strong> (BSc, PhD, RNutr), a Lecturer in the Department of Sport, Exercise &amp; Nutrition at Atlantic Technological University (ATU) in Galway, Ireland. A registered Nutritionist with the Association for Nutrition, Dr Conroy brings deep expertise in nutrition, sensory science, and applied research. She is Programme Coordinator for ATU&#8217;s blended MSc in Nutrition and Food Sensory Science, and is an active contributor to ATU Green Labs and My Green Lab, making her uniquely placed to bridge the worlds of scientific rigor and environmental responsibility.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"><strong>Download the guide and take your first step toward a more sustainable lab.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n  <\/sc-rich-text>  <sc-rich-text>\n      <sc-button\n    full-width\n    layout=\"primary\"\n    link-target=\"_blank\"\n    link-url=\"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Nutrition-Food-and-Sensory-Guide_compressed.pdf\"\n    slot=\"\"\n  >\n    Get the guide\n  <\/sc-button>\n  <\/sc-rich-text>\n      <\/sc-container>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2875,"featured_media":68484,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"A sustainability guide for food science laboratories","_seopress_titles_desc":"This guide offers strategies to enhance sustainability across clothing, equipment, food, materials, energy, and other resources. A joint publication by Greenlabs and My Green Lab.","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"category":[114],"topics":[109,111,112],"programs":[99],"lab_types":[107,156,157,158],"class_list":["post-68469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips","topics-energy","topics-waste","topics-water","programs-my-green-lab-certification","lab_types-academic","lab_types-clinical","lab_types-contract","lab_types-government"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68469","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2875"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68469"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68469\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":68497,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68469\/revisions\/68497"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68484"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68469"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=68469"},{"taxonomy":"topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topics?post=68469"},{"taxonomy":"programs","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/programs?post=68469"},{"taxonomy":"lab_types","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/sv\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lab_types?post=68469"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}