Life sciences must lead green initiatives from the inside out

Scott Masiella, Director of Product Management at Stirling Ultracold discusses the environmental impact of laboratories across the industry and why change is needed for life sciences to pursue better sustainable working. 

As it has become increasingly clear with every history-making flood, wildfire and storm on our planet, the climate crisis is now upon us. The scientific community was the first to recognise this and life sciences industries are in an authoritative position to lead the world in applying the urgency of responsible climate action.

This new resolve is moving beyond the outward appearances of “greenwashing” and affecting authentic change and climate impact. This is true, both for the internal processes of research, development and manufacturing, as well as the realisation of products that externally drive customer adoption of sustainable solutions. An effective environmental sustainability programme should start from the inside of an organisation and work its way to the outside world. Especially for the life sciences, “going green” should be an inside out transformation that has direct climate impact and becomes a model for others.

Driving Behaviour Changes in Research Organisations

An example of this can be seen in the ongoing challenges of life science research facilities and processes, which have historically proliferated the waste stream and released carbon emissions at environmentally significant levels. Whether from widespread use of single-use plastics, environmentally unfriendly chemistries or high energy-consuming equipment, research organisations have not always been a friend to the environment.

Laboratories are typically the second highest consumers of energy per floor space of any facility type on campus, with fume hoods and ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers drawing the highest plug loads in the lab. For example, just one conventional ULT freezer consumes the energy equivalent of two typical European households. Considering it is common for hundreds of ULTs to be operating at a single research site, with electricity still supplied from fossil fuel-based power generation in many regions of the world, a massive carbon footprint can result.

Also consider that much of this ultracold storage equipment still uses F-gas refrigerants with very high Global Warming Potential (GWP). The European Parliament has enacted regulations related to the use and marketing of F-Gases since 2006. However, the most recent regulation in 2020 included Article 13, which allows for the continued use of F-Gas refrigerants in applications designed to cool materials below -50°C.

Despite these sustainability challenges, leading research organisations, institutions and communities are driving meaningful behaviour and technology changes to address the climate crisis. Following the Montreal Protocols and United Nations 2016 Paris Agreement, major commercial biopharma initiatives have emerged, such as Roche’s K6 Directive and AstraZeneca’s Ambition Zero Carbon strategy.

Leading universities and research institutions have also launched sweeping climate action agendas, such as University of Cambridge’s Cambridge Zero and University of California’s Carbon Neutrality Initiative. Finally, government and industry guidance from U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR®, the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL), My Green Lab and other environmental advocate groups have helped drive rapid adoption of sustainable technologies and best practices within research organisations.

Enabling Change Through Sustainable Technologies

Another positive change agent having significant climate mitigation impact has come from innovative providers of environmentally sustainable technologies. Providers in the industry are recognising their own imperative to support their customers in improving the sustainability of their labs. Stirling Ultracold’s ultra-low storage solutions were conceived as a sustainability disrupter in a well-established space. The proprietary cooling engine technology at the heart of these ULT freezers is very different from compressor-based systems used by all other ULT manufacturers.

Stirling Ultracold’s core values center on building an internalised sustainability culture, which has permeated all aspects of the business. As a result, the organisation adopted zero waste manufacturing practices with enterprise-wide waste stream reduction, materials recycling and composting of biodegradables. This is complemented by a sustainable energy management programme with facility-wide LED lighting and purchased wind energy credits to offset electricity use. The company also applies sustainable materials management that includes recyclable product packaging, sustainable sourcing with RoHS compliance, the use of zero Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP)/GWP foam insulation blowing agents and reduced product materials.

This internal drive toward sustainability moved outward when Stirling led a five-year industry collaboration to define the ENERGY STAR final test method for laboratory freezers, ultimately earning the first ENERGY STAR certification in the category, as well earning the EPA’s first Significant New Alternatives Policy (SNAP) approval to use 100% natural hydrocarbon refrigerants. By committing itself to developing only energy efficient ULT models, the company has consistently helped its users’ to reduce their lifetime cost of ownership and simultaneously achieve their financial and climate action goals.

This is an example of how even new and smaller market players can affect big external change in an industry segment by internally committing to provide environmental and climate benefits. Stirling’s market influence and impact in helping life science customers execute green initiatives has recently grown to a new level by fulfilling ultracold storage requirements for Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 mRNA vaccines in over 155 countries. These capabilities can similarly infuse sustainability as a core component of the cold chain infrastructure that will deliver innovative new cell and gene therapies and broader biopharma products.

Building a Future to Last in Life Sciences

Coming full circle in examining how sustainable technologies can affect real change in the way research organisations fulfill their life sciences mission, we have looked at just a couple examples of why a commitment to “green” must go beyond superficial changes in behaviour and technology adoption. No one said it would be easy, however, the urgency of this climate crisis demands that life sciences organisations drive deep change from the inside out. Change that will have a lasting impact is now on the horizon thanks to the capabilities of technology to do more with less. When laboratory equipment vendors rise to the challenge to develop products with sustainability as a cornerstone, they make it easier for the industry at large to embrace green initiatives. In turn, the two can work together to benefit the health of both the people of the world and the world itself.