Starlab is reflecting on the success of its sixth annual Sustainability weeks.
The event, which involved the participation of more than 100 laboratories across Europe, incorporated live events across the region, alongside six webinars.
In total, 3000 participants were involved in the scheme, which ran from 7 to 25 October.
The Starlab Sustainability Weeks series aims to embed sustainability expertise directly in laboratory practice, thereby promoting dialogue on green issues at the European level.
President and CEO of Starlab International, Klaus Ambos, commented: “We see a growing willingness to integrate environmentally friendly practices in everyday laboratory operations. Sustainability is no longer a trend, it’s a long-term strategic focus,”
This is confirmed by the latest data from the Starlab Mood Barometer, which found that 9 out of 10 laboratories regard sustainability as increasingly important for their activities.
Efforts to consider sustainability are already underway, with:
- 95% of laboratories reducing waste
- 92% actively cutting their energy consumption
- 75% changing their ordering habits
- 72% hold training on environmental issues
- More than 1/3 order sustainably produced/reusable products
“These figures clearly show that sustainability is not just a buzzword in the laboratory industry and is instead being actively practised,” adds Ambos.
During this year’s event series, Starlab also continued its tradition of planting cacti. Over 2700 plants have been given a new home by reusing Starlab TipOne racks.
Starlab presents these green ambassadors as gifts to participants at its in-person events. Laboratory staff brought used racks with them to events to serve as receptacles for Starlab’s plants.
“Our commitment to sustainability has a long-term focus. Through our Sustainability Weeks we aim to make a meaningful contribution to help labs reduce the environmental footprint of research activities,” emphasises Ambos. The Starlab recycling service, which is used by a growing number of laboratories and research institutes, is a vital part of this commitment. “We’re planning to expand this service to other European countries in the near future,” adds Ambos.
Moving forward, Starlab intends to expand its Sustainability Weeks by engaging more and more laboratories throughout Europe. The company hopes to continue to increase the number of participating laboratories each year, and will continue to showcase more sustainable laboratory practices, especially where its TipOne tip system is concerned.
