Green Procurement
When working to reduce your research’s environmental footprint, it's equally important to monitor what comes into the lab as well as how waste leaves it. The entire life cycle of equipment and consumables should be considered, including the materials used in production, sustainability efforts in manufacturing, transportation, usage, and especially the end-of-life disposal.
Key strategies include:
- Utilizing core facilities to avoid unnecessary equipment purchases.
- Using in-house supply facilities to lower transport emissions. TCD Stores
- Collaborating with other groups for bulk purchases to reduce transportation impact.
- Ensuring equipment is well-maintained to prevent breakdowns and unnecessary waste.
- Partnering with equipment repair services.
- Donating functional equipment to other labs or institutes for continued use.
- Use EPEAT, a database to help purchasers compare electronic products
based on environmental considerations. - Consolidate orders from the same supplier to minimize packaging waste and reduce the environmental impact of multiple deliveries.
- Buy the "right-size" equipment/instrument for your needs. This helps prevent using smaller capacity items more often, possibly causing the items to have a shorter lifespan, or in the case of larger capacity items, using more energy or water than necessary.
Useful links:
Saving Money Through Sustainable Procurement of Laboratory Equipment
Sustainable Laboratory Equipment Metering, Procurement, and Operations Guide