You have a deep desire to make your environment more sustainable, but there are too many headaches.
Technical solutions take time to find, there is uncertainty about what is possible, and then other people need to be convinced.
After several years in the field, let me encourage you to get help, because it can make your life so much easier.
Today's Lesson: Making It Easier for You
The benefits of getting help from experts
Number of the Day
By leveraging existing advice, microbiology and analytical labs could reduce their plastic waste by more than 40%. Similarly, AstraZeneca was able to certify labs in 19 countries, with over 70% of them reaching the highest possible certification level. Change is possible, and others have already paved the way. Your circumstances are unique, but people who know the solutions do exist. Now, let’s discuss why you should contact them and what they can actually do for you:
19
Receiving a Helping Hand
I am writing this lesson because I think many people search for solutions themselves when there is a more efficient way.
I don’t want you to spend your energy unnecessarily because finding a solution yourself might take you hours, while others have it ready.
This is from one of the institutions where I worked as an advisor. A truly impressive example, one that not only reduced plastic use but also saved time and money!
That means whenever you need some help, simply reach out to those who lead communities, have published a paper on the topic or appear in talks!
Here is what an expert, an advisor or just someone with experience answering your question can do for you.
Make It Easy and Quick
You already have enough on your plate. Sustainability work in the lab is just one more thing stacked on top.
Figuring out what to do and when to do it gets complex fast.
An advisor can give you direction on what to tackle first, how to organize projects, and how to approach change safely.
Many people see bioplastics, such as those offered by Eppendorf, as a greener alternative. But what is the difference between bioplastics and bio-based plastics? And can they simply be introduced into existing workflows? In surprisingly many cases, yes, but there are important exceptions.
A simple example from my own work: I worked with an institute with several hundred scientists. The administration knew what the result should look like but not how to get there or what the challenges were.
> So, I identified the pain points and set up an organized structure for the next few months.
> Of note, I told them not to bother with a footprint analysis yet because it simply wasn’t the right time for them.
That saved money and a lot of work that would not have been very beneficial, although a big consulting firm would have gladly taken the $15,000 for it.
Move the Problem to Where It Can Be Solved
The change has to happen with your scientists, procurement team, or operators.
That can mean talking to a dozen people, and that is time-consuming.
An advisor takes that off your hands.
In my view, working with the scientists directly is key.
Moreover, any expert should have the resources needed to talk to many people effectively.
Whether for microbiology, biochemistry, analyticalchemistry, or synthesislaboratories, there is a wealth of literature available these days. Often, scientists just need a little reassurance that change is possible, and these publications are a great way to provide it.
Hand over the Complex Problems
Some solutions require genuinely deep technical expertise - the kind of expertise that anyone would struggle to find the time to develop.
One recent example is helium: recent geopolitical issues have put pressure on supply.
One common topic I have worked on is helium recycling for NMR instruments or switching the carrier gas in GC entirely to hydrogen.
Helium recycling for NMR is a fairly complex topic. While large instruments can use standalone systems for purification and reliquefaction (see the example on the left), smaller add-on solutions for individual NMR systems are now also available, making the process much easier (on the right, by Bluefors).
The point is that, for these technical questions, a good advisor can help you quickly.
That saves you the days you would otherwise spend reading up on the topic, and sometimes they already have the right contacts at the companies you need.
Enhancing Perception Automatically
This was something that surprised me the first time I encountered it.
Bringing in an outside expert fundamentally changes perceptions - your scientists realize that leadership truly supports them and the topic.
On top, it frequently gets noticed outside the lab too.
The picture at the beginning of the article was taken at the Leibniz-HKI in Germany. It wasn't just the scientists and the institute's leadership who were inspired, the media was as well.
I have had newspapers and blogs report on it so enthusiastically that internal communications teams were nearly overwhelmed.
Fighting Alone Is Frustrating
Doing this work alone is lonely, and it can feel draining enough to stall progress for months.
Having an ally who has already been through similar struggles gives you someone to talk to - someone who often already knows the solution to trivial yet annoying problems.
Moreover, they are there to back you up in conversations with leadership.
That alone makes decisions easier because you have someone experienced and credible standing beside you.
Applying the Knowledge
Yes, there are only a handful of people who truly know this field.
However, that actually makes the choice simpler, not harder.
My honest advice: work with someone who has actually worked in a lab.
Someone who has been in the lab knows what is feasible and what isn’t. I for example, have created such templates that can be extremely helpful. Not because they are complex, but because creating them takes a lot of time and often leaves you wondering whether you have chosen the best layout or included all the important points.
If you do not choose someone who understands what the reality of working in a lab looks like, you will receive only generic advice.
Also, contact them first and worry about the money later.
Sustainability is a passion-driven field, so people are likely to help you even before there is a budget for it.
My tip for today: write down three specific areas where you could use help.
That specificity alone makes it easier to sort things out and it gives you a concrete reason to reach out!
How We Feel Today
References
Alves, J., et al., 2021. A case report: insights into reducing plastic waste in a microbiology laboratory. Access Microbiology, 3(3), p.000173. doi:10.1099/acmi.0.000173.
Kilcoyne, J., et al., 2022. Reducing environmental impacts of marine biotoxin monitoring: A laboratory report. PLOS Sustainability and Transformation, 1(3), p.e0000001. doi:10.1371/journal.pstr.0000001.
Penndorf, P., 2024. Reducing plastic waste in scientific protocols by 65%—practical steps for sustainable research. FEBS Letters, 598(11), pp.1331–1334. doi:10.1002/1873-3468.14909.
Mazzali, D., et al., 2025. Sustainable and surfactant-free synthesis of negatively charged acrylamide nanogels for biomedical applications. Macromolecules, 58(3), pp.1206–1213. doi:10.1021/acs.macromol.4c02128.
If you have a wish or a question, feel free to reply to this Email. Otherwise, wish you a beautiful week! See you again on the 6th : )
Edited by Patrick Penndorf Connection@ReAdvance.com Lutherstraße 159, 07743, Jena, Thuringia, Germany Data Protection & Impressum If you think we do a bad job: Unsubscribe
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