Green Lab
We work sustainably and have been Green Lab certified since October 2023.
We started in February 2023 and achieved the "Green" level with 93% of My Green Lab.
After the first round of questions, in which our initial status was determined, we had 6-8 months to implement new measures. Our colleagues were informed and trained in weekly lab meetings.
This covered 12 areas: community, waste avoidance and recycling, purchasing, resource management, green chemistry/biology, water, energy, fume cupboards, cold storage, large appliances, energy infrastructure, animal husbandry and travel.
Here you can find our certificate.
What we are already doing
Waste avoidance and recycling
- Waste separation
- Use of return programs
- Saving plastic by using smaller containers
- Avoiding waste by using refill racks
- Use of reusable Armor Beads instead of ice
- Multiple use of buffers (western blot, gel electrophoresis)
Purchasing
- Purchasing larger containers instead of several small ones
- Collective orders from one company instead of small individual orders
- Environmentally friendly office supplies
Resource management
- Freezers have been inventoried and regularly updated
- We share equipment and reagents with other groups
- Regular maintenance of all equipment
- Materials are used according to the "first in/first out" principle
Green chemistry/biology
- Purchasing only in quantities that are actually consumed
- Our AG uses an alternative for ethidium bromide
Water
- Economical use of water
- Installation of aerators on all taps
- Dishwashers and autoclaves only run when they are completely full
Energy
- Economical use of light in all rooms. Lights are switched off when rooms are left for long periods of time
- Appliances that are not needed are always switched off
Chemical fume cupboards
- The chemical fume cupboard remains closed whenever possible
- The fume cupboard is kept as empty and tidy as possible
Cold storage
- Appliances are defrosted regularly
- The temperature of our freezer was increased from -80 °C to -70 °C
- All refrigerator items have been inventoried
Large appliances/computers
- All appliances are switched off if they are not needed for a longer period of time
- Computers and monitors are switched off overnight.
- We print on both sides of eco paper and only when necessary
Energy infrastructure
- Use of LED lamps
- Heaters are only switched on when they are needed.
Animal husbandry
- Wearing reusable surgical gowns
Travel
- Business trips are only made if necessary and, if possible, with climate-friendly means of transportation
- All colleagues come to work by bike or train
- Video conferences are used as often as possible, saving some business trips
Green Lab is an international non-profit organization based in the USA that certifies laboratories for sustainable working practices. My Green Lab has been named by the United Nations in its "Race to Zero" campaign as a key player in the goal to make medical and pharmaceutical companies, laboratories and research facilities carbon neutral by 2050. Laboratories are among the most resource-intensive workspaces in the field of biomedical research. Translational pain research is one of the pioneering institutes in Green Lab certification at the LifeScience Campus Cologne!
About the Sustainability Working Group
The Sustainability Working Group is an initiative of the Group of Academic Staff Members (GAMMAs) of the Faculty of Medicine and is open to all status groups at the Life Science Campus Cologne who want to actively promote greater sustainability.