The Bernal Institute BioLabs are the first labs at the University of Limerick to be certified by My Green Lab as part of the Green Lab Certification program, considered the international gold standard in lab sustainability.
The university is committed to the development and implementation of a holistic approach to sustainable development. In line with this, the Bio Laboratories at the Bernal Institute have evaluated opportunities for energy and water savings as well as chemical and waste reduction. Championed by a coalition of scientists, facility managers, and a safety professional, Bernal BioLab members are pursuing sustainability in their laboratories through the adoption of ‘Green Lab’ practices.
The team were awarded the Platinum level ‘Green’ certificate with the second highest score ever achieved in the programme. They have joined a network of hundreds of certified green labs all over the world.
Speaking about the award, Bio Materials Cluster Leader and Neuroscientist, Dr Andreas Grabrucker said “Bernal BioLabs are making real and impactful changes to decrease the environmental footprint of research.
By empowering scientists to make choices that not only benefit their research but also the environment and communities around them, My Green Lab and Bernal BioLabs are building a culture of sustainability in the laboratory.”
Bernal Institute Director Professor Luuk van der Wielen commented “I’m delighted to see that the Bernal Biolabs Team has successfully internalised our strategy focused on developing solutions for grand challenges in Health, Energy and the Environment in their daily works. We are evaluating this or a similar approach for the full institute.”