In a previous Greening the Bench post, Switch Off to Save: Tackling Plug Load in the Lab , we explored how small changes to equipment habits can cut energy use. This time, we’re looking at biosafety cabinets, a piece of lab kit often left running 24/7, and how simply switching them off when not in use can save energy without affecting safety. Whether you’re working with cell cultures, buffers, or other sensitive materials, it’s common for biosafety cabinets (BSCs) to be left

In a previous Greening the Bench post, Rethink Before You Recycle: Tackling Lab Consumables Waste , we looked at how rethinking what we use can have a big impact on lab waste. This time, we’re taking that same mindset to the experimental scale itself, exploring how much can be saved, both financially and environmentally, by simply doing more with less. Whether you’re preparing buffers, culturing cells, or running chromatographic analyses, there’s often room to scale down. Min

Cutting carbon, not corners. How WoodSafe’s biocomposite clinical waste bins deliver lab safety with a smaller CO₂ footprint.

We’ve talked before about plug loads and the energy wasted by equipment left on unnecessarily, a hidden but significant cost to both budgets and sustainability goals. (See our Switch Off to Save blog  for more detail on that.) But there’s one thing that’s harder than installing a plug timer or putting up a sticker: building a culture  where everyone takes responsibility for switching off. Shutting down lab instruments and kit at the end of the day isn’t something one person c

When it comes to lab sustainability, it’s easy to focus on energy and consumables, but equipment is often the elephant in the room....

Walk into your lab on Monday and everything feels just right: clean benches, stable temperatures, and full ventilation. Now imagine the...

If you’ve ever tried to make your lab more sustainable and felt like no one else cared, you’re not the only one. You notice the plastic waste piling up. You wonder why machines are left running. You spot chances to do better, but it feels like you’re the only one seeing them. A lot of people care. But when you go it alone, it can feel isolating. That’s why green teams matter. Working together makes things easier—and more effective. Small Teams, Big Results Some of the biggest

If the amount of plastic that your lab goes through feels overwhelming, you’re definitely not alone. From pipette tips and falcon tubes, to gloves and wipes, single-use plastic consumables are the norm in most lab environments. They do provide convenience and help to prevent contamination but they end up being a frequent hidden expense, and filling up our bins. Recycling is the easy option, simple, visible and familiar and it can feel great! Throwing plastic items away hoping

When we think about energy use in laboratories, we often picture the big players such as ultra-low freezers, fume hoods, HVAC systems as we’ve touched on in previous blogs. But hiding in plain sight is a more subtle, yet significant contributor to lab energy waste: plug load. That’s the term for all the energy drawn by equipment simply plugged into a socket and in many labs, it’s quietly consuming power even when no one’s around. Plug load: The hidden cost of idle equipment P

Labs are packed with equipment, workhorses like centrifuges, spectrometers, and stirrers. But step back and ask: how many of them are...

Water, water everywhere, and not a drop to drink. This is true in laboratories as much as the sea, with water usage being a significant...

One of the most common questions I hear when discussing lab sustainability is, “Which piece of equipment in my lab consumes the most...

In the world of laboratory work, safety and efficiency are non-negotiable. One of the most critical elements in this equation is the fume...

Welcome to Greening the Bench, your go-to resource for transforming the way we conduct scientific research with sustainability at the forefront. Science labs are notoriously resource-intensive environments, consuming five to ten times more energy and three to five times more water than traditional office settings. If scientific research were a country, it would rank 40th in CO2 emissions. Additionally, research laboratories generate approximately 5.5 million tons of plastic w