Talking Techniques | The sustainable lab: energy efficiency, glass vs plastic and human behavior

Lab design and machinery Plant and climate science

Neill Lane Headshot

In this episode BioTechniques Digital Editor, Tristan Free, speak to Neill Lane Chief Strategy Officer at Stirling Ultracold (OH, USA) and Board Member of My Green Lab (CA, USA) about sustainability in the lab. Neill explains how his low-emission ultracold freezers have changed the industry and made a huge impact on sustainability in laboratories. We also discuss the good work he sees being done by My Green Lab and other institutions to improve sustainability, the gaps that he sees in energy efficiency in the lab and the small behaviors that you can change to make big differences in the environmental impact and sustainability of your lab.

Contents:

  • Negative contributions from research labs to the environment – 1min 30sec
  • Reduce the impact of R&D and research labs? – 2min 25sec
  • The importance of freezer efficiency – 4min 45sec
  • Exciting developments from My Green Lab – 7min 5sec
  • Techniques for reducing waste – 9min 45sec
  • Single-use plastics vs glass wear – 11min 35sec
  • Institutions worthy of particular praise – 13min 40sec
  • Energy efficiency and the Stirling Cycle – 14min 40sec
  • Further gaps in energy efficiency and changing behaviors in labs- 18min 30sec