About us   

Welcome to the DoBS Sustainability Committee! We are a group of staff and student Green Champions committed to implementing and improving sustainable practices within the Department of Brain Sciences.

As a community of researchers, we are aware that scientific research has an immense environmental footprint. Laboratories use 5 – 10 times more energy than office spaces and are estimated to produce 5.5 million metric tonnes of plastic waste each year. Read more in the article 'Labs should cut plastic waste too'.

Our mission is to foster sustainability in the department and to put into action practices that will reduce our environmental impact without compromising research. We believe that even small changes can make a significant difference. From reducing paper waste to implementing energy-efficient equipment, we are committed to finding practical solutions that will help us achieve our sustainability goals.

We encourage anyone in the department who is interested in making a green difference in the lab to get in touch with a member of the committee. By working together, we can make a positive impact on the environment and build a more sustainable future for our department and beyond.

Thank you for your interest in our committee, and we look forward to working with you.

Our members

The Sustainability committee comprises of people who work and study in the Department of Brain Sciences. We welcome permanent staff, as well as postgraduate students who want to learn more about lab sustainability best practices and make their contributions.

Sustainability goals

Our team of Green Champions have already made huge improvements to departmental sustainability over the last few years. For example, we introduced recycling bins and separate bins for non-hazardous recyclable and non-recyclable waste, held lab and fridge/freezer clean-up days, and created a communal reagents area.

We are proud to announce that our efforts have been acknowledged with a LEAF Bronze award. LEAF, which stands for Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework, is a scientist-led initiative pioneered by UCL which offers a comprehensive sustainability framework specifically tailored for laboratories.

With guidance from the LEAF programme, we are aiming to continue making improvements in these three key areas:

Waste management

For example, reducing the amount of hazardous waste produced and increasing the amount of non-hazardous waste that is recycled.

Energy conservation

For example, Improving energy savings by changing the temperature of and turning off more equipment when possible/ it is not in use.

Communication of our green efforts to the department

For example, improving induction and leaving procedures for staff and students.