Starlab sustainability drive: Over 3,000 cacti send a clear message for sustainable lab practices

Over 3,000 cacti have been planted in Starlab TipOne^® racks as a daily reminder to laboratory scientists to put sustainability at the core of their research practices. This is just one result of this year’s Sustainability Week organized by laboratory product manufacturer Starlab. The company organized roughly 85 events on the subject of sustainability in October. “This year’s series of events attracted more than 3,500 participants. It was a huge success. This overwhelming response underlines the pressing need to integrate sustainability expertise into laboratories – even in economically challenging times,” says Klaus Ambos, Managing Director of Starlab International GmbH. One of the standout aspects of this series of events is that Starlab is taking its sustainability expertise straight to the various facilities in order to foster a green dialogue at the European level.

According to UNESCO, the scientific community generates a significant amount of plastic waste and, despite making up just 0.1% of the global population, has a large impact on the environment. A study conducted by the University of Exeter found that life scientists alone produce around 5.5 million tons of plastic waste every year, equating to around 2% of plastic waste produced worldwide. The amount of waste generated by other scientific fields, however, is unknown.

At the various events, Starlab presented sustainable laboratory practices and product options, and also gave over 3,500 participants from universities, clinics, and laboratories the means to take an active role in promoting sustainability. Starlab provided free plants to be planted in empty TipOne racks to symbolize the importance of responsible use of resources. Visitors were also given EcolutionMovement stickers which they can display in their laboratories as a daily reminder to save energy and protect the environment. “We have compiled a package of measures as part of the EcolutionMovement that pools all internal and external activities associated with the complex issue of sustainability. Our goal is to encourage both our employees and laboratory staff to adopt a more sustainable approach,” explains Ambos.

This is the laboratory product manufacturer’s fifth series of sustainability events. “We are continuing our mission to develop innovative products and promote awareness of environmentally friendly research practices,” adds Ambos.

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