How Sustainable Practices Can Improve Lab Efficiency

In the modern day, Laboratories are essential across a wide range of industries, but their operation requires a significant amount of energy, resources and materials resulting in substantial environmental consequences. With scientists being at the forefront of climate change, it requires a response from every sector of society and laboratories are no different. By adopting sustainable practices, laboratories can minimise their ecological footprint but also enhance overall efficiency.

Energy Efficiency

Laboratories consume 5 to 10 times more energy than the average office per square meter with the high consumption being attributed to specialised equipment, and aggressive ventilation requirements. By adopting sustainable practices, laboratories can improve energy efficiency, reduce operational costs, and minimise their carbon footprint.

Fume Hoods & Ventilation

A fume hood uses as much energy as an entire house in a single day. An open fume hood allows air to be pulled in which results in the fans working harder to condition the air, resulting in a significant amount of energy consumption.

Closing the fume hood when not in use reduces greenhouse gas emissions significantly and when in use, keeping the hood at the lowest level possible will also reduce energy consumption and energy costs. Moreover, investing in variable air volume fume hoods instead of constant volume air supply systems allows for overall lower power consumption.

Lighting

Lighting is another significant contributor to high energy usage and can take up around 15% of the daily energy usage in the lab.

Appropriate lighting is essential for laboratories as accurate colour rendering needs to be considered, especially during specific procedures. At the same time, lighting needs to be carefully managed to prevent thermal emissions that could negatively impact sensitive materials or experiments. All these factors must be considered when implementing sustainable practices.

Considering the above factors, implementing LED lighting and occupancy sensors can significantly reduce energy consumption and operational costs as LEDs have high longevity and high energy efficiency while being suitable for sensitive environments.

Autoclaves & Equipment

Autoclaves are vital in laboratory settings for sterilising equipment and materials, but they are also significant consumers of energy and water. On average, autoclaves consume approximately 84 kWh of electricity per day.

This high consumption is due to the continuous energy and water usage maintained by these devices. Implementing sustainable practices such as running autoclaves only when full and turning off the equipment when not in use contributes significantly to a laboratory reduction in greenhouse emissions and overall annual cost. Furthermore, opting for equipment designed to recirculate water or allow the flow to be turned off when not in use also contributes significantly to a reduction in electricity and overall carbon footprint.

Water Conservation                                                    

On average, laboratories consume more water per square foot than regular office buildings due to significantly higher processing requirements. Installing water-efficient fixtures such as low-flow faucets and automatic shut-off systems can help minimise water waste. Secondly, reusing water in appropriate applications, like cooling, can significantly reduce overall consumption.

Laboratories can also invest in water-recirculating systems, which allow water to be reused rather than continuously discharged. Additionally, regularly maintaining lab equipment to ensure there are no leaks or unnecessary water flows is essential. By adopting these water conservation practices, laboratories can significantly reduce their environmental impact while maintaining operational efficiency.

Automation

Laboratory automation, particularly for strenuous manual tasks, significantly enhances efficiency, accuracy, and sustainability. Automated systems precisely carry out experiments, ensuring consistent and reproducible results while reducing human error. Automation also reduces resource waste by accurately dispensing the right number of reagents, minimising chemical waste and lowering costs.

Smarter Chemical Procurement

Using a single, local supplier like Atom Scientific can significantly streamline operations while reducing environmental impact. Labs that depend on multiple suppliers often face increased delivery frequencies, leading to higher transportation emissions, excessive packaging waste, and increased costs.

By combining shipments, labs can cut down on unnecessary packaging and delivery-related emissions, contributing to a greener and more efficient operation. Sustainable practices don’t just help labs meet environmental objectives—they also improve operational efficiency, saving time, money, and resources. By choosing eco-conscious solutions, labs can operate more responsibly while enhancing overall productivity.

Read our Blog on How Chemical Lab Procurement Can Improve Efficiency.

A Partner in Sustainability

Atom Scientific has been actively working to reduce its carbon footprint by implementing sustainable practices throughout its operations. Previously, the company’s operations consumed 80-100 bags of polystyrene packaging each month. However, since adopting eco-friendly alternatives, consumption has dropped to fewer than twenty bags per month, all of which are now used for specialist packaging.

This progress marks a major step in Atom Scientific's ongoing commitment to sustainability. The company continues to explore new ways to reduce its environmental impact and enhance sustainability across all areas of its business.