Single-Use Plastics

• Where possible substitute plastics with glass, card or paper
• Whilst it is good to recycle it’s even better to re-use or reduce. Where sterility isn’t critical
• e.g. teaching labs, reusing will not only cut plastic waste but reduce costs
• If possible, reduce the size of tube or container that you use
• Try to cut down on packaging – buy in bulk and share resources with others

Saving Energy

• ULT Freezers – by increasing the temperature from -80 to -70 the energy consumption is potentially reduced by up to 37%. Not only that, it puts less strain on the compressor and lengthens the life of the freezer!
• Use racking – prevents big temperature changes
• Keep an inventory so old samples aren’t taking up valuable space – cutting down the need for more freezer space
• Keep opening times down to a minimum
• Defrost regularly
• Fume Hoods – generally ventilation systems and fume hoods can fall into two categories – Constant Air Volume (CAV) and Variable Air Volume (VAV). The amount air flowing through VAV fume hoods can be adjusted by the height of the sash. If the sash is lowered the speed of the exhaust fan and the volume of air being exhausted is reduced. The energy savings could be as much as 40%
• Drying Cabinets – use a timer switch so these aren't left on overnight or over the weekend
• Laminar Flow and Biosafety Cabinets – turn off when not in use. They can consume around 15kWh/day – about half as much as an average house!
• Energy – anything that’s used for heating or cooling can consume a lot of energy so switch it off when not inuse. Alternatively use timer switches so equipment can be turned on and ready for use first thing – if needs be. Remember the heat generated from freezers, water baths, Dri Blocks, ovens etc will also make your lab’s air con work harder and in turn increase energy usage

• Don't Bin It, Fix It! – get items fixed or serviced. We have our own service centre – for more information please email: servicecentre@scientific-labs.com