logo
logo logo
ETH Ambassadors

  • Home
  • #TOPICS
    • All Topics
    • Connecting & Exploring
    • Society
    • Events
    • Development & Sustainability
    • Science & Technology
  • #Tags
    • Sort by

      • ABC
      • Most used
      • Most recent
      • #myNYUAD
      • Abu Dhabi
      • aCentauri
      • Africa
      • Asia-Pacific
      • Berlin Science Week
      • Bloomberg
      • Chemistry
      • China
      • Climate Change
      • computer science
      • CSNOW
      • CYBATHLON
      • Digital Einstein
      • Diplomacy
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • EHW2023
      • Energy
      • Energy Transition
      • Engineering
      • ENHANCE
      • ETH Alumni
      • ETH Entrepreneurship
      • ETH Global Lecture
      • ETH GreenLabs
      • ETH Meets NY
      • ETH Meets You
      • ETH Meets You in Davos
      • ETH Student Project House
      • ETH Studios
      • ETH4Development
      • ETHCircle
      • Europe
      • Events
      • Exchange Programme
      • Exchange Semester
      • focusTerra
      • Food
      • Foresight
      • Future of Work
      • Geography
      • GYSS
      • Hackathon
      • Health
      • How we connect
      • How we cope
      • How we learn and work
      • How we reflect
      • How we respond creatively
      • Hyperloop
      • IChO 2023
      • Information Technology
      • Innovation in Architecture
      • Jets
      • Latin America
      • LINO23
      • Locarno Film Festival
      • Machine Learning
      • Mathematics
      • Milano Design Week
      • Nestlé
      • North America
      • Open Your Eyes
      • Projects
      • Quantum
      • Rebuilding Ukraine
      • RETHINKING LIVING
      • Robotics
      • Science Communications
      • Singapore-ETH Centre
      • Smart Cities
      • Solar Physics
      • South Asia
      • Space
      • Sports
      • Study Abroad
      • Summer Internship
      • Summer School
      • Sustainable Development Goals
      • Sustainable Switzerland
      • togETHer
      • United Nations
      • VSETH
      • WE ARE ETH
      • WEF Davos
      • your 2040

  • #TAGCLOUD
  • About
  • Submit
  • Search
  • Resilience in Adversity: Meeting Children from Kyaka II Refugee Settlement, Uganda
    Turning a new LEAF for lab sustainability
    Header orem ipsum dolor sit amet
logo logo
ETH Ambassadors

  • Home
  • About
  • #TOPICS
    • All Topics
    • Connecting & Exploring
    • Society
    • Events
    • Development & Sustainability
    • Science & Technology
  • #Tags
    • Sort by

      • ABC
      • Most used
      • Most recent
      • #myNYUAD
      • Abu Dhabi
      • aCentauri
      • Africa
      • Asia-Pacific
      • Berlin Science Week
      • Bloomberg
      • Chemistry
      • China
      • Climate Change
      • computer science
      • CSNOW
      • CYBATHLON
      • Digital Einstein
      • Diplomacy
      • Diversity & Inclusion
      • EHW2023
      • Energy
      • Energy Transition
      • Engineering
      • ENHANCE
      • ETH Alumni
      • ETH Entrepreneurship
      • ETH Global Lecture
      • ETH GreenLabs
      • ETH Meets NY
      • ETH Meets You
      • ETH Meets You in Davos
      • ETH Student Project House
      • ETH Studios
      • ETH4Development
      • ETHCircle
      • Europe
      • Events
      • Exchange Programme
      • Exchange Semester
      • focusTerra
      • Food
      • Foresight
      • Future of Work
      • Geography
      • GYSS
      • Hackathon
      • Health
      • How we connect
      • How we cope
      • How we learn and work
      • How we reflect
      • How we respond creatively
      • Hyperloop
      • IChO 2023
      • Information Technology
      • Innovation in Architecture
      • Jets
      • Latin America
      • LINO23
      • Locarno Film Festival
      • Machine Learning
      • Mathematics
      • Milano Design Week
      • Nestlé
      • North America
      • Open Your Eyes
      • Projects
      • Quantum
      • Rebuilding Ukraine
      • RETHINKING LIVING
      • Robotics
      • Science Communications
      • Singapore-ETH Centre
      • Smart Cities
      • Solar Physics
      • South Asia
      • Space
      • Sports
      • Study Abroad
      • Summer Internship
      • Summer School
      • Sustainable Development Goals
      • Sustainable Switzerland
      • togETHer
      • United Nations
      • VSETH
      • WE ARE ETH
      • WEF Davos
      • your 2040

  • #TAGCLOUD
    • #Africa #Asia-Pacific #Climate Change #CYBATHLON #Diplomacy #Diversity & Inclusion #Energy Transition #Engineering #ENHANCE #ETH4Development #ETH Alumni #ETH Global Lecture #ETH Studios #Europe #Events #Exchange Programme #Food #Foresight #Future of Work #GYSS #Health #How we connect #How we cope #How we learn and work #How we reflect #How we respond creatively #Hyperloop #Information Technology #Innovation in Architecture #Latin America #Machine Learning #Mathematics #North America #Open Your Eyes #Quantum #RETHINKING LIVING #Robotics #Singapore-ETH Centre #Smart Cities #South Asia #Sports #Sustainable Development Goals #togETHer #WE ARE ETH #your 2040
  • Submit
  • Search

Turning a new LEAF for lab sustainability

May 23, 2024
As a part of their Net Zero 2030 strategy, ETH Zürich is encouraging laboratories to adopt sustainable practices.
ETH Zürich’s Scope 3 emissions calculations show that laboratories are key targets for reducing emissions. (ETH Zürich)

Many scientists are motivated by contributing to the betterment of society. However, scientific research often comes at an environmental cost, mainly concerning energy use and waste. At ETH, most Scope 3 emissions come from labs and equipment. To cut these emissions, ETH is participating in a pilot scheme for LEAF, a laboratory sustainability certification program developed at University College London. 19 labs across ETH received their Bronze, Silver, and Gold LEAF certificates at the end of January 2024. 

Representatives of ETH labs who received their LEAF certificates at the Dozentenfoyer on 31 January 2024. 11 labs received a Bronze certificate, while three and five received Silver and Gold certificates, respectively. Departments represented by these 19 labs ranged from D-BIOL to D-HEST and D-MAVT. (ETH Sustainability Office)

“Educating and inspiring people is the most important” says Dr. Miriam Filippi, a senior scientist at the Soft Robotics Lab (D-MAVT). As Sustainability Officer, she steered the group to a Gold-level LEAF certificate through integrating sustainability into everyday lab life. “Your last thought in the middle of an experiment is ‘how will the world be in 10 years?'”, she explains, “and so there is a need to get routines to be sustainable.” Filippi also created the “Green Roboticist” award within the group to motivate members and “make sustainable practices more respected.”  

LEAF actions range from using recycling bins to optimizing equipment energy use and actively reducing plastic waste. A well-organised group may already be implementing many sustainable actions. “It was less work than expected,” says Sabine Diedrich, lab manager at the Lab of Toxicology (D-HEST). Together with PhD student Jasmina Büchel, she steered the group to a Gold LEAF certificate. The online LEAF platform offers tips to get started, but Diedrich stresses the importance of networking and sharing experiences to create momentum and progress on a larger scale.  

Turning off lab equipment when it is not needed can help to save energy – reminders can help to make this a habit. (Vilhelmiina Haavisto)
Fume hoods consume much more energy when left open than closed, but the smiley stickers distributed by the Greenlab Zürich group can serve as a fun reminder to shut the sash when you are done working. (Franziska Brändle)
Some groups, such as the Neurohr group (D-BIOL), have implemented separate waste buckets at the bench to reduce unnecessary autoclaving. (Gloria Sancho Andrés)
Humour can be used to remind lab members of sustainable practices in a fun way. (Vilhelmiina Haavisto)

Despite best efforts, the reality of scientific research means that some aspects, such as reducing single-use plastic waste, can be difficult to change. “There’s still so much waste,” Büchel laments. Filippi also notes that “connecting good sterility practice to sustainability” can be challenging and is filled with compromises. However, many groups certified in the LEAF pilot reuse ‘single-use’ materials such as plastics and aluminium where possible, and try to opt for reusable alternatives where possible. 

Plastic waste can be reduced by labelling, cleaning, and re-using ‘single-use’ plastics, such as weighing boats, where possible. (Vilhelmiina Haavisto)

“Labs not yet in LEAF should know that with a little thought, significant reductions of single-use plastic items and electricity can be achieved,” emphasises Elisa Dultz, a senior scientist in the Weis lab (D-BIOL) and member of the ETH/UZH Greenlab group. “You can become part of the community that is interested in change by starting the discussion in your lab and connecting to others”. The ETH GreenLabs program, run by the ETH Sustainability Office and the Greenlab Zürich group, aims to eventually LEAF-review all ETH labs, and work together to build on existing initiatives, ultimately promoting sustainability across all labs.

Projects, Sustainable Development Goals ETH GreenLabs , Sustainable Development Goals
Avatar photo
Vilhelmiina Haavisto Vilhelmiina is a PhD student at the Institute of Molecular Systems Biology at ETH Zürich and a member of the Greenlab Zürich group.
Avatar photo
Franziska Brändle Franziska Brändle is a PhD student at the Institute of Biochemistry at ETH Zürich, and a founding member of the Greenlab Zürich group.

Related posts

No related posts.

  • global.ethz.ch

  • Subscribe to our Newsletter

    Check your inbox or spam folder to confirm your subscription.

© ETH Zurich Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect those of ETH Zurich. In addition, ETH Zurich is not responsible for the content of external links.
Data Protection
#Africa #Asia-Pacific #Climate Change #CYBATHLON #Diplomacy #Diversity & Inclusion #Energy Transition #Engineering #ENHANCE #ETH4Development #ETH Alumni #ETH Global Lecture #ETH Studios #Europe #Events #Exchange Programme #Food #Foresight #Future of Work #GYSS #Health #How we connect #How we cope #How we learn and work #How we reflect #How we respond creatively #Hyperloop #Information Technology #Innovation in Architecture #Latin America #Machine Learning #Mathematics #North America #Open Your Eyes #Quantum #RETHINKING LIVING #Robotics #Singapore-ETH Centre #Smart Cities #South Asia #Sports #Sustainable Development Goals #togETHer #WE ARE ETH #your 2040