This article was written by Medilink Midlands Member, Life Science Group Ltd.
In May 2022 we moved premises to our new location in Sandy, Bedfordshire. When we moved, we knew we wanted to start off on the right foot with our sustainability goals at the forefront of our plans. Not only do we want to create scientific innovations but environmental ones too.
We have started this initiative by developing our new products, T-Store and CellShip, which reduce shipping and logistics costs by allowing you to ship tissue and cells at ambient temperatures.
Not only are we in the process of setting up electric charging points, but we have reduced our paper use, decorated with office plants and planted the outside areas. We routinely re-use packaging materials, we have implemented a successful car sharing scheme and make use of compost and recycling programs. We plan to take part in litter pick-up days, involvement with our community and we regularly support the charity, What is Biotechnology to spread our reach as far as possible.
At our new premises, we are just about settled in and doing our best to develop sustainable habits. It is our belief that the future of science should be cost-effective, sustainable and easy to access. T-Store and CellShip will become the industry standard for the shipping of tissues and cells and our continually improving eco-friendly premises will be the norm.
We thought we would share a few tips we’ve learned on our sustainability journey.
- Turning off the lights
– this may seem like an obvious one but making sure the lights are all turned off when everyone leaves can make a difference in your environmental impact, as well as any other equipment is turned off when not in use. Switch off those monitors when you leave the office. - Turn down the heating
– just one or two degrees makes a huge difference. - Glassware
– Use glassware, when possible, rather than plastic which cannot be reused and will end up in a landfill. Having mugs and reusable bottles rather than single-use cups is a much better practice. - Communication
– Communication is key to creating a more sustainable environment, whether its discussing ideas or just explaining what steps have been taken already, this will reduce unnecessary waste. Share information about part-used consumables with your colleagues rather than throw away that part-used bottle. - Organization
– An organized, clean space will ensure that no unnecessary purchases are made which will benefit both the company and create less waste. - Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
– As seen above, there are lots of ways to reduce wasteful and unsustainable practices. Reusing also makes a huge difference, glassware is more sustainable than plastic and many products can be reused such as clipboards, pens, and containers. There are many recycling programs that can help with items not normally recycled in labs such as pipette tips (https://www.tradebe.co.uk/laboratory-plastic-recycling)! - Support initiatives for recycled single-use plastics
– There are some interesting initiatives coming for cell culture – watch this space!
For more information on T-Store, visit: https://lifescienceproduction.co.uk/products/t-store/
For more information on CellShip, visit: https://lifescienceproduction.co.uk/cellshipktp/
For general enquiries, contact 01234 889180 or sales@lifesciencegroup.co.uk