1. Sustainability in University labs
Andrew Arnott
Projects Coordinator - Labs
Department for Social Responsibility and Sustainability

2. “A public body must, in exercising its functions, act… in a way that it considers is most sustainable.”
Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009

3. We emit more than many of our peers
The University's emissions per full time equivalent staff and student, compared to other Russell Group Universities.

4. The challenge of growth

5. Climate Strategy
Zero by 2040

6. Absolute emissions

7. What have we done so far?
Action on energy efficiency and better buildings design
£30m on low carbon Combined Heat and Power plants
£50m of climate related research over last 7 years
Divested from coal and tar sands, carbon footprint of direct investments down 90% since 2008
ECCI, FloWave, bio-char centre…

8. Relative emissions
Our carbon intensity has fallen

9. Pathways to 2025

10. Less energy waste means more money for research
ANIMATED
Less energy waste means more money for research, student support, equipment… you name it.
But what are we doing about it?
humanities
science
equipment
maintenance
student support
conferences

11. The importance of Labs High inputs, high outputs
Labs embody the spirit, culture, and economy of our age...what the cathedral was to the 14th century and the office building was to the 20th century, the laboratory is to the 21st century.
Producing some of University of Edinburgh’s most important and prestigious research
Intensive use of energy, water and materials
Have a key role to play in Energy Reduction and Behavioural Change aspects of Pathways to 2025
Dan Prowler, US Architect

12. Chemicals and materials
Check before ordering:
Before ordering more of a chemical, ask around other labs/other floors to see if you can borrow
Reduce volume:
Structure your experiment to minimise the quantities involved, especially if using rare or hazardous materials
Reduce hazard:
Where possible, substitute out hazardous chemicals for less hazardous options
SIN (Substitute It Now)
SubsPort
Many chemicals have very high embedded carbon/energy from their extraction/production – we need to be cognisant of this.
A lot of the cost and environmental impact for the uni comes from disposal as ‘waste’.
We need to take these steps in order to ensure we ‘waste’ as little as possible.
Deliveries of materials also involves a substantial amount of packaging waste coming into the Uni, as well as transportation emissions.

13. Chemicals and materials cont.
Label:
Ensure any container is clearly labelled with contents, date, name of owner, (expiry), (hazard)
Wash, not waste!
Where suitable, please use re- usable equipment/containers rather than single-use items (wash/autoclave after use)
Many chemicals have very high embedded carbon/energy from their extraction/production – we need to be cognisant of this.
A lot of the cost and environmental impact for the uni comes from disposal as ‘waste’.
We need to take these steps in order to ensure we ‘waste’ as little as possible.
Deliveries of materials also involves a substantial amount of packaging waste coming into the Uni, as well as transportation emissions.

14. Cold Storage
ULT freezers (“minus 80s”) can use £1,000 of energy annually
Assess!
Does your material need to be stored at -80⁰C, or could it cope with a higher temperature?
Have you minimised the volume of material you are storing in the ULT freezer?
Label all freezer contents clearly
Your name, materials, expiry date
ULT = Ultra Low Temperature
Fridges and other freezers (-20 and -40) also have high energy consumption
All cold storage devices emit heat, which can lead to uncomfortable temperatures in labs and/or increased load on cooling systems.
Many materials can be safely stored at -70 or higher temperatures – we are running an experiment at Roslin to provide conclusive proof of this, but many lab users are already operating ULT freezers at higher temperatures. Just be aware of this and watch-this-space for further info.
fill empty space with polystyrene boxes to help keep temperature more stable and reduce load on compressors.
switch off if empty

15. Cold Storage cont. Clear out! Defrost!
Get rid of samples which are no longer needed and avoid further purchases
Defrost!
Ice build-up poses a risk to samples by stopping the door from closing properly, and increasing energy demand
ULT = Ultra Low Temperature
Fridges and other freezers (-20 and -40) also have high energy consumption
All cold storage devices emit heat, which can lead to uncomfortable temperatures in labs and/or increased load on cooling systems.
Many materials can be safely stored at -70 or higher temperatures – we are running an experiment at Roslin to provide conclusive proof of this, but many lab users are already operating ULT freezers at higher temperatures. Just be aware of this and watch-this-space for further info.
fill empty space with polystyrene boxes to help keep temperature more stable and reduce load on compressors.
switch off if empty
Have the contents of your freezer well organised and well labelled so extraction takes the minimum time and the door can be closed again as soon as possible.

16. Fume Cupboards
The air handling required for just one fume cupboard can cost c.£2,000 per year
Shut the sash!
This improves safety and reduces energy consumption
Switch off when not in use
Ask to find out if possible to switch off
The main energy cost of a fume cupboard comes not from the operation of the fans, but from heating fresh air to replace the air which has been expelled.
Reducing clutter will mainly be a safety improvement rather than an energy saving
Standard fume cupboard should be operating at a face velocity of 0.5m/s – if yours is running higher than this it does not provide greater safety, as the higher speeds create turbulence. (some low-flow fume cupboards operate at 0.3m/s)

17. Fume Cupboards cont. Reduce clutter
Air will flow better where there are no obstacles, so keep the air vents clear
Do not use as a storage cupboard!
Use ventilated cabinets instead
“Fume hoods work best with items about 6 inches (20 cm) away from the edge” Ron Brown
The main energy cost of a fume cupboard comes not from the operation of the fans, but from heating fresh air to replace the air which has been expelled.
Reducing clutter will mainly be a safety improvement rather than an energy saving
Standard fume cupboard should be operating at a face velocity of 0.5m/s – if yours is running higher than this it does not provide greater safety, as the higher speeds create turbulence. (some low-flow fume cupboards operate at 0.3m/s)

18. Building services Heating/cooling Lighting
Control with thermostat (i.e. heat up to c.20⁰C, cool down to c.24⁰C)
Lighting
Make use of natural day light as much as possible and switch off electric lighting
Assign responsibility among your co-workers for switching off lights (“last out, switch off”)
In rooms with large numbers of freezers, where the air con serves to stop freezers over heating, the room air temperature should not be cooled to below 20⁰C
Natural daylight has an additional benefit of improving staff morale and feelings of ‘well being’
Adjust thermostatic radiator valves (TRV)s and clothing for a comfortable room temperature
Report building faults to your EBIS rep

19. Scientific Equipment
Share equipment! Sharing provides researchers with back-up equip, reducing down-time, and enables better research and collaborations
Check before you buy new equipment, you may be able to borrow (short or long-term)
Switch off when not in use – especially at the end of the day!
Fit plug-in timers if regular hours of use
Sharing equipment is a requirement under OJEU for any grant application over £134k.
Check with your lab group what the procedures are for switch off at the end of the day (i.e. is there a rota, or is it just ‘last out, switch off’?
If you are deliberately leaving an item of equipment switched on please leave a note explaining this (including your name and contact details)
You can help reduce energy waste:
Switch off desktop equipment at night
Use timer switches for equipment that is slow to turn on
Centrifuges
Heat blocks
Water baths
Shaking incubators
PCR machines

20. Scientific Equipment cont.
Don’t use a holding temperature of 4⁰C over night on qPCR machines (they are not designed to be long-term fridges)
Plan your experiments so they don’t run over night
Choose the right size of equipment for the task
PCR machines – If there are samples in the machine and the programme is finished or on “4degreesC forever”, put the samples in a cold room or fridge and turn off the block/machine.

21. Cleaning/Sterilisation
Don’t put items on the floor of the drying oven, it affects the thermostat and increases energy consumption.
Don’t dry pipette tips over 40⁰C, they will warp. Waste and energy!
Don’t use drying cycles on glasswashers – use drying oven instead (more efficient)
Drying ovens can use as much energy annually at -80 freezers!

22. Cleaning/Sterilisation cont.
If using a non-vacuum autoclave, ensure items are carefully and precisely arranged to ensure adequate sterilisation
Ensure dishwashers, autoclaves and drying ovens are only used when full, and switched off when not in use
Autoclaves must get rid of air in order to adequately sterilise, so don’t tie bags of autoclave waste too tight
If glassware/equipment is in a non-vacuum autoclave and isn’t arranged exactly right (or if they fall over), pockets of old, unsterilized air will remain and the equipment will not be sterilised. This can lead to contamination in labs, and a long and potentially expensive hunt for the problem.
Different items take different amounts of time to achieve sterility. Make sure loads are relatively homogenous so that all items which take 1 hour are put through a 1 hour cycle, and all items which take 2.5h are on a 2.5h cycle. The presence of a 2.5h item in amongst 1h items will mean the whole load needs to run for 2.5 hours.

23. Waste and recycling
Ensure waste is appropriately segregated, as there is a health and safety impact as well as a substantial cost impact of sending waste to the wrong destination.
Reduce use of single-use disposable items to a practical minimum (e.g. lab plastics, gloves)
Your lab may segregate lab waste out into some or all of the following streams:
Hazardous waste,
Solvent waste,
Clinical waste,
Biohazard waste,
Landfill waste,
Metal recycling,
Paper and Card recycling,
Winchester bottles (supplier take-back),
Tip box inserts recycling.
Check with your lab manager/building manager what the waste segregation arrangements are for your site, as there can be local variations.
What we absolutely want/need to avoid is hazardous/clinical waste going to other waste streams, as that will end up with that whole bag or even whole bin being designated as hazardous/clinical.
Likewise, we need to avoid any uncontaminated materials being accidentally dumped in haz/clinical waste bins, as this will mean it unnecessarily receives an intensive and expensive form of treatment.

24. Just give a quick description of WARPit
Encourage people to sign up and have a look at what’s available, have a quick play around with it, and remember it when you need to get rid of something (lab equipment can go on but obviously needs to be decontaminated first – same as if it were going to be scrapped anyway)

25. Water
Use treated water (e.g. chilled, purified, deionised or distilled water) sparingly and choose the right size of equipment for the task
Don’t leave equipment rinsing under a running tap – less effective cleaning and wasteful.
Use water-using equipment sparingly and switch off when not in use
Studies by LabRATS in California found that cleaning equipment is more effective if the item is repeatedly filled and emptied of water 3 times, rather than left rinsing under a running tap for 10 minutes.

26. To summarise… The University has made a strong commitment
A lot of good work is already under way
Targets can’t be achieved from only one place or in just one way – we need your involvement and ideas
We are here to support you to improve sustainability in your way

27. Questions?