Personal Note from Patrick, the Editor

Hi Reader, can we scientists set a good example?

Next Wednesday and Thursday (28th and 29th), our online event takes place – here is the final schedule for you.

While it would be an honor for me to see you live, I think there are two advantages for you, too:

In short, they are time and scale. Let me explain how these can help you make your lab greener:

Number of the Day

Based on an assessment of one of their chemistry labs, Freese et al. extrapolated that scientists at the Faculty of Science and Engineering at the University of Groningen might use over 1.3 million gloves annually. An estimate from a biochemical research lab exceeded this figure, suggesting that each scientist uses more than 2000 gloves per year. The positive side? Labs like those at MIT are able to collect over 6 tons of gloves annually for recycling. A big impact means a big opportunity.

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How We Want to Entice You

Although we constantly see the plastic we use in the lab, we often forget about the true scale of our plastic consumption.

The average scientist in Europe has a footprint 2–3 times as large as that of the average citizen.

What does that mean if we assume there are 1.5–2 million life scientists worldwide?

It means that, in terms of plastic waste, we produce as much as an entire country like Finland or Norway!

But there's great news: it's becoming easier than ever to reduce that footprint!

What We Can Achieve

The issue is that, too often, we don't believe it's possible.

While the numbers mentioned above can be intimidating, we don't usually save just 1–2% when we take action.

I can say from experience that savings often range from 20–60%.

And these savings are not just theoretical – they are achievable even in regulated and sterile environments.

They also don't involve buying questionable carbon offset certificates, as some companies do.

But to truly believe that it's possible, we often need to experience it firsthand.

This is why I want you to join me on October 28 (next Wednesday) to experience the scale of what's possible, not just read about it.

• For example, Kilcoyne et al., whose work we have often discussed, achieved a reduction of over 60% in plastic waste.

• Or take the above-mentioned work, which identified potential savings of 477.1 tonnes of CO₂e at a single university.

And It Can Be Easy

I know you have little time and that you're concerned about your samples.

But we'll share solutions like this plate washer, which produces almost no plastic waste and saves you hours of work.

Also on the 28th, we'll have Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) sharing more about their new biobased reagents and eluents.

I want you to see and hear about these solutions firsthand – and really get a sense of their scale!

Applying the Knowledge

But do you have the time to do all of that?

Whether it's figuring out who's greenwashing or going through research, data, and countless options, finding reliable answers takes time.

For instance, can you autoclave bioplastics? And how much lower is their footprint really?

That's why, on October 29 (next Thursday), I'll have Jan from Eppendorf joining us.

We'll discuss important aspects of how companies actually calculate the carbon footprints of their products.

• It's a behind-the-scenes look I believe you won't get anywhere else – because there are blind spots you should know about!

• After that, we'll have VerdiBlot presenting greener Western blot membranes and Media City presenting serum-free media.

• I'll also tell you about a company that can provide temporary freezers so you can defrost your own.

This is why I want to engage with you live – to help you dive deeper into these topics without having to spend too much time on them.

Until then, I'll share some of the resources we created with and for you last year as kind of a little bonus.

How We Feel Today

References

Freese, T. et al., 2024. The relevance of sustainable laboratory practices. RSC Sustainability, 2(5), 1300–1336. doi:10.1039/d4su00056k.

Kilcoyne, J. et al., 2022. Reducing environmental impacts of marine biotoxin monitoring: A laboratory report. PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, 1(3), e0000001. doi:10.1371/journal.pstr.0000001.

If you have a wish or a question, feel free to reply to this Email.
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Otherwise, wish you a beautiful week!
See you again on the 23 rd : )

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Edited by Patrick Penndorf
Connection@ReAdvance.com
Lutherstraße 159, 07743, Jena, Thuringia, Germany
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