Laboratories shape the future. They are where people continue to drive innovation for a better world. But laboratories can also negatively impact our planet with their high energy consumption and levels of waste, as well as toxic residues. But those who are serious about changing this can do so easily. At least, that’s what GreenBasics promises, a new consultancy service from Waldner.
Ten times as much energy as office premises. Four times as much water. Use of resources by laboratory buildings is a major environmental issue. A -80° freezer alone gets through 10 to 30 kWh a day, as much energy as an average household. In the same period, a standard laboratory fume hood extracts a volume of air equivalent to 20 detached houses. Unlikely that it’s a simple problem to fix. Which is why we asked ourselves:
“Working alone, environmental protection quickly starts to feel like a case of tilting at windmills. Working with like-minded people, however, a strong dynamic usually emerges. The energy and commitment of others becomes infectious and we suddenly start seeing the possible instead of the impossible. GreenBasics supports the process from the outside with the help of experts, who can draw on their experience and apply useful techniques while remaining objective. Essentially, however, it’s our in-house team that oversees the process of becoming greener.”
“Those who try to change everything at once normally end up achieving nothing. Instead, change tends to succeed when we set ourselves specific goals that are attractive, measurable and realistic. SMART goals – or “focus areas” as we call them. Where are the main change potentials internally? Binding deadlines are also useful during implementation. By when do we want to achieve what?”
“After first taking stock of the situation, it’s important to take action together – step-by-step and with progress reports. Have energy costs fallen? Is the laboratory demonstrably producing less waste? A positive answer is normally a motivating factor to stay on track – and to think even bigger. Others, for example Roche, decide right at the outset to switch to a sustainable laboratory across the board. We then help them with the certification process. That’s also an option.”
“We all know what it’s like: carrying on as before is always the easiest path. Ingrained processes, time pressure, a lack of personnel and, of course, costs all come together to stand in the way of environmental protection. Real-world examples show, however, that it can work and that it is worth it despite all the concerns. One customer in south Germany achieved calculated savings of around €350,000 with a ROI of approximately 2 years from just the first 4 of 20 measures. Even the customer said they would never have dreamed it possible at first. So courage also pays off, then, when it comes to going green.”
“When big things are achieved fast, word gets out. And that’s how we like it! Because that's exactly what’s needed to make laboratories greener. When a Facility Manager at site X hears from a colleague at site Y of the energy savings they’ve achieved, and then gets together with others to start their own ball rolling, environmental protection takes another step further. Often, just a short preliminary meeting with other stakeholders is enough – everything becomes clear. Whether it’s about working together to mitigate the laboratory’s biggest environment impacts, passing the My Green Lab® certification, or achieving “zero carbon”, it’s all the same at the end of the day. What is clear is that every step helps and will make it easier for us to go green.”
Undoubtedly. That’s what we need for our laboratories and for our planet.
Our warm thanks to Alexander Biller and Tolga Berk (GreenBasics) for answering our questions.
Follow the link to learn more about GreenBasics and the concrete savings potentials of laboratories
