Facilities in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences are increasingly demonstrating their commitment to sustainability by securing LEAF (Laboratory Assessment Efficiency Framework) accreditation.
Sustainability is a cornerstone of the University’s 2031 Strategic Framework. Reflecting this, the Faculty’s own Strategic Plan (2025 – 2031) underscores the urgent need to address the climate crisis. It is more vital than ever that the Faculty contributes to climate research - understanding and addressing the impacts of climate change, undertaking activities in a sustainable manner and supporting activities that align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are all ways this is being achieved.
Facilities have shown their commitment to implementing changes to make their operations more sustainable by engaging with the LEAF initiative, which aims to improve the sustainability and efficiency of laboratories and technical workspaces. The ambition is for all eligible spaces in the Faculty to achieve gold by 2031.
So far, 65 labs have been awarded, of which 15 are bronze, 33 are silver and 17 are gold.
The Histology Shared Research Facility was recently awarded LEAF Gold, recognising its outstanding commitment to sustainable laboratory practices. The application was led by Gemma Charlesworth and Marie O’Brien who reflected:
“We found the LEAF framework to be clear, logical, and highly adaptable across different laboratory environments, with the Gold-level requirements building on the foundations established at the Bronze and Silver levels.
Sustainability within the histology laboratories is covered at induction for all new users and is driven by a combination of shared equipment models, resource reuse, principles of green chemistry and responsible data management. Much of the laboratory equipment has been purchased second-hand or repaired through recycling schemes. Plastic tubes are re-used where possible, and shared equipment runs are offered to reduce solvent waste.
Surplus office-style equipment is redistributed via Warpit, and the University Green Scheme is considered if new equipment is needed. Excess immunohistochemistry reagents are retained within the facility for potential future pilot studies, preventing unnecessary disposal of usable materials.”
Another recent success was the School of Medicine Clinical Skills Lab, which achieved the silver award. Clinical Skills Lecturers Emma McCabe and Kelly Leatherbarrow were a driving force in the quest to work more sustainably. They said:
“As a team we are driving the importance of waste-segregation and promoting effective disposal of clinical waste to reinforce this and minimise contamination. We are also now recycling catheter bags and blood bottles from our teaching sessions to be used in self-directed areas with full support from students who are segregating items for reuse.”
The lab has also introduced ‘ScrubCycle’ which provides students with a sustainable way to recycle unwanted clinical scrubs. This scheme has been a huge success with over 100 pairs of scrubs being donated over the summer.
Read about the Clinical Skills Lab sustainability journey.
Whilst there is an ethical consideration for facilities to ensure sustainability, there is also a financial incentive with funders such as the National institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and The Wellcome Trust, now heavily emphasising a sustainability requirement in their funding applications.
For more information on laboratory sustainability, please go to the dedicated LEAF Webpages, containing resources and guides, or contact Laboratory Sustainability Officer Jenna Lowe.
A Sustainable laboratories guide is now also available. This guide brings together information on how labs can save on Energy, consumables and water, manage their chemicals in a more sustainable way, and waste, recycling and circular economy options available at the University. There is additional information on procurement, efficient resource use and tips for sustainable experimental design.