Join the Mission
Waste Minimization in Life Science Labs
The quest to slash laboratory waste often begins with unknowns. Can we recycle our lab plastic? Can we donate surplus materials? Environmental consequences are at stake. A green team seeks answers.
Team Up
Set Up
Categorize
Schedule
Gear Up
Audit
Strategize
Inspire
Start
Is passionate about recycling and protecting the environment
Researcher
Your green team’s goal is to choose the best strategies to minimize waste. Using an audit, you’ll measure waste streams and identify the greenest choices for disposal and lab materials to prevent pollution.
Team up to green up
Technician
Generates extensive waste automating high throughput screening assays
Scientist #1
Understands waste management options and how to run a waste audit
Sustainability Officer
Knows total waste volumes and coordinates waste collections
Facilities Operations Manager
Helps meet material handling regulations and keeps everyone safe
EHS Officer
Accidentally joined the wrong meeting, but is willing to help
Scientist #2
Confirm Team
Pick your players! Listen to each green team member to see how they can help.
Is concerned by how manylab gloves are getting trashed
Your objective is to collect data on the weight for each material category in a waste stream. The audit can target a lab protocol, a lab space or an entire facility. For a facility waste stream, reserve outdoor space and a temporary dumpster big enough to hold a typical day’s volume of trash. For a protocol-specific waste stream, collect bags in an extra bin and clear an area in your lab for sorting.
Plan the audit scope and setup
Set up the waste audit location by selecting each item.
Complete Setup
Waste audit tarp
Dumpster
Trash bags
Pallet scale
Cardboard sorting bins
Clipboard & paper
Choose material categories to sort and weigh based on your team's knowledge of disposal service options. For example, confirm what materials are acceptable for recycling or composting services. Plan on bins for any unexpected sharps or hazardous materials that will not be sorted. A miscellaneous bin is also useful for composite material items.
Match waste audit categories to greening goals
Match the 6 items to waste categories by selecting the appropriate box for each.
Sort Item
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Compost
Plastic films
Metal
Polypropylene (PP) #5 – clear
Polypropylene (PP) #5 – colored
Cardboard
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam
Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) #1
Paper towels
Category = Compost
ClimaCell® coolershipping box
96-well plates, conical tubes & microcentrifuge tubes
Empty pipette tip boxes& conical tube caps
Styrofoam®shipper
Western blot dry transfercopper electrodes
Empty pipette tip boxes & conical tube caps
Category = Polypropylene(PP) #5 – colored
Category = Cardboard
Category = Polypropylene(PP) #5 – clear
Category = Metal
Styrofoam®shippers
Category = Expanded polystyrene (EPS)foam
Complete Sort
For a facility-scale municipal waste stream, perform two audits during a typical work week. The first day is for waste collection. The second day is for the audit just ahead of your regularly scheduled pick-up.
Timing is everything
Schedule two audits by selecting 2 sets of days on the calendar, and then set a start time on the clock.
Schedule Audit
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Audit 1
Pick-up day
Collection 1
Collection 2
Audit 2
Auditing Tip To audit a single-experiment type, collections can be repeated 3–5 times under typical workflow conditions.
Finalize Schedule
Recommendations for scheduling a waste audit
Day of the week: Collect waste the day before the waste hauler regularly picks up from your facility. Time of day: Start sorting early in the morning. Otherwise, your waste audit volunteers may get overheated.
Consult your environmental health & safety green team member on recommended PPE. Enlist waste audit volunteers by sending out a request to a wider group.
Dress your waste audit team member with PPE by selecting each item.
Not all heroes wear capes...some wear PPE
Booties
Trash picker/grabber
Coverall
Nitrile gloves
Cut-proof gloves
I'm Dressed
Team member
Visor
Sort materials from each trash bag into the category bins. Weigh each bin to estimate total waste over time. A pallet scale works well for larger scope audits.
Weigh each of the 3 remaining categories by using the arrows and selecting “Weigh Waste” for each.
Perform your audit
Complete Audit
Weight (lb.)
100.1
25.5
15.2
10.7
15.8
?
15.3
10.1
Weigh Waste
90.1
See a waste audit in action! Browse our photo gallery from NEB’s waste audit.
View Photos
Waste audit at New England Biolabs®
Browse these photos from NEB's waste audit.
Source reduction
Recycling
Energy recovery
Treatment
Disposal/ other
Disposal/other
Source reduct.
Energy recov.
Once you have defined your waste stream, apply the waste management hierarchy to choose the most environmental strategies. Higher amounts of a waste can economize strategies.
Use the arrows to choose the correctly prioritized pyramid.
Take steps with your green team to minimize waste
Hierarchy #1
Hierarchy #2
Hierarchy #3
Hierarchy #4
Hierarchy #5
Select Pyramid
Finalize Strategy
Strategy
Hierarchy 2 is the recommended strategy.
Once you have prioritized your environmental strategies, engage everyone in waste minimization with signage, training, networking, and art displays.
Select each card to reveal ways to engage others.
Inform and inspire others
I'm Inspired!
Reveal Card
If you’ve uncovered contamination in your waste stream, try signage on best practices. Host training sessions for using new disposal options. Be open to questions!
Signage & training
Grass root networks bring scientists and staff together to tackle environmental concerns. Evidence from initiatives engage top-down support for working time and resources.
Exchange insights
Educate your community through art that makes you think. Invite seminar speakers who can offer insights.
Exhibit art & host experts
Looking for more green team members? Learn how to hold a green fair for biologists.
Green events
Max Planck Sustainability Network Members [Photo credit: Christiane Kalmbach]
Complete Mission
Congratulations, you have completed all of the levels!
For reference, download a PDF summarizing the steps in a waste audit.
Thanks for being “Labconscious”!
Mission complete: Successful waste audit
Select the scopeand prep the space.
Schedule two audits in a week, with an early start time.
Dress in PPE.
Sort and weigh the waste.
Apply a waste management hierarchy.
Inform and inspire others.
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