Waste is a large contributor to the CO₂ out put of laboratory spaces. Much of what is used in the lab is automatically considered contaminated and placed in biohazard bins sent for incineration. This incineration results in vast amounts of CO₂ emissions and other toxic fumes released into the atmosphere, let alone being very expensive for institutes.
The sustainable science community challenges people to really determine what is and what isn’t contaminated and put in place protocols to allow for the reduction, reuse and recycling of lab waste where possible
Plastic waste in academic biomedical sciences is estimated to account for around 2% of global plastic waste.
General lab introductions and signage can help people feel confident that their waste is not contaminated and can be diverted to the correct recycling routes instead of for incineration.