Low Waste Laboratory Practices

This article is part of our Sustainable Science in Practice series, which explores practical ways laboratories, production environments and controlled facilities can reduce environmental impact while maintaining accuracy, reliability and compliance. The series highlights supplier solutions, services and workflows that support more sustainable operation in real world settings.

Reducing plastic, solvent and water waste through smarter consumables and workflows

Laboratories generate significant volumes of plastic, solvent and water waste as part of everyday work. While many of these materials are essential, inefficient consumables and solvent heavy workflows can increase waste unnecessarily. As a result, laboratories often face higher disposal costs and greater environmental impact.

For this reason, many organisations are now focusing on low waste laboratory practices. These approaches aim to reduce waste at source while maintaining accuracy, reproducibility and compliance. Fortunately, recent advances in consumables, purification systems and analytical workflows make it easier to achieve these goals without disrupting routine laboratory operations.

Why waste reduction matters in laboratory environments

Reducing waste supports sustainability objectives, but it also brings clear practical benefits. In day to day laboratory work, lower waste levels can help to:

• Reduce consumable and waste disposal costs

• Lower solvent handling and storage requirements

• Improve workflow efficiency

• Minimise repeat analyses and failed preparations

In addition, waste reduction plays an important role in recognised sustainability frameworks such as Green Lab Certification. By choosing products designed to use fewer materials or solvents, laboratories can demonstrate measurable progress while continuing to follow established methods.

Supplier solutions that support low waste operation

Mason Technology works with suppliers who actively develop products to help laboratories reduce waste in practical and achievable ways.

Reusable and efficient water purification
To begin with, water purification systems can have a significant impact on laboratory waste. Avidity Science water purification systems use reusable cartridge designs that reduce plastic disposal compared to traditional single use formats. At the same time, controlled water delivery helps laboratories manage water consumption more effectively during routine use.

Lower impact laboratory consumables
In addition, consumables used every day offer a clear opportunity for improvement. Eppendorf offers ACT labelled and BioBased consumables manufactured using reduced fossil based plastics. These products allow laboratories to lower the environmental footprint of routine work while remaining compatible with existing protocols and instrumentation.

Solvent efficient analytical workflows
Solvent use is another major source of laboratory waste. CAMAG HPTLC systems support analytical workflows that require smaller solvent volumes than some alternative chromatographic techniques. As a result, laboratories can reduce solvent consumption, storage and disposal while still achieving reliable analytical results.

Efficient sample preparation
Finally, sample preparation workflows can also be optimised. BUCHI evaporation systems are designed to support solvent efficient sample preparation. Optimised evaporation processes help laboratories minimise solvent use while maintaining reproducibility and throughput in routine analysis.

Reducing waste without disrupting existing workflows

Importantly, these solutions are designed to integrate easily into existing laboratory environments. Rather than requiring major process changes, laboratories can reduce waste step by step by:

• Selecting lower impact consumables where available

• Reducing solvent volumes in analytical and preparation workflows

• Improving efficiency at key process steps

As a result, sustainability improvements can be achieved without compromising productivity, data quality or compliance.

Supporting long term sustainable laboratory performance

Beyond product selection, ongoing support also plays an important role. Mason Technology provides calibration, preventive maintenance and technical support to help laboratory systems continue to operate accurately and efficiently. This reduces the risk of failed runs, repeat testing and unnecessary waste over time.

In summary, low waste laboratory practices are not about compromise. With the right consumables, workflows and support, laboratories can reduce environmental impact while maintaining confidence in their results and supporting wider sustainability goals.

Sustainable Science in Practice focuses on practical improvements that organisations can implement today. Across the series, we explore how efficient equipment, low waste workflows, accurate measurement and well supported systems can help reduce environmental impact without disrupting established processes.

Explore the full Sustainable Science in Practice series to see how different technologies and services support sustainable operation across laboratories, facilities and production environments.

• Practical approaches to laboratory sustainability and green lab operation