14 August 2017
Laboratory Sustainability Award
The Centre for Craniofacial Development & Stem Cell Biology has achieved a bronze award for laboratory sustainability. This is part of the Sustainable Labs program at King's and they are the first lab team from the Dental Institute to win an award.
Laboratories entail energy and waste footprints that are 3-10x greater than comparably sized non-research spaces. Therefore, engaging with researchers and technical staff in the lab is integral to the university both achieving its carbon reduction targets and using resources more efficiently for biomedical research.
The Bronze Award requires - among other things - shut down processes are in place to ensure that all non-essential equipment is turned off, the sash of fume cupboards is closed, equipment is well maintained and waste streams have clear signage. These are all simple actions but collectively they help ensure the lab reduces the environmental impact of their research as much as possible, without of course affecting the quality of the research that they do.
Post Doc Mark Hintze has been instrumental in the centre achieving the award and has been kindly supported by Alice Santambrogio, Antonia Cumine, Esther Pearl, Ailin Leticia Buzzi and Jingjing Li. The team received their Bronze Award at a ceremony held recently and there is a short blog produced by the Sustainability Team that reflects on the awards evening.
The lab are going to for the silver award next year. If you would like to get involved, please do drop Mark an email to find out more.