Every science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) student is familiar with the sheer volume of waste generated in labs, from countless pairs of gloves and pipette tips to stacks of discarded paper towels. While these single-use materials, as well as the energy required by lab equipment, are essential to research and learning, they also carry a significant environmental cost. At a time when sustainability is paramount, addressing the carbon footprint and waste output of science is more critical than ever. In this context, initiatives like Trinity’s Green Labs aim to create meaningful change within the university’s laboratories by promoting more sustainable practices without compromising the integrity of scientific work. To learn more about these efforts, Trinity News spoke with Dumitru Anton, College’s dedicated Green Labs officer.
“A key issue we faced was the high turnover rate on the committee”
Trinity’s Green Labs committee is a chapter of Irish Green Labs, an organization established in 2021 by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). According to Anton, the Trinity chapter was first founded in 2019 by PhD students from various STEM disciplines across College, drawing on their experiences with SEAI’s initiative. “A key issue we faced was the high turnover rate on the committee, as it was primarily made up of PhD and master’s students,” Anton explained. Following a period of reduced activity during the 2021–2022 academic year, the Green Labs committee created a full-time Green Labs officer role to ensure continuity. “Having someone full-time gave the project a sense of security,” Anton noted. During this year’s freshers’ week, Anton and the committee recruited new members in the Hamilton Building, securing around 30 sign-ups, including 15 undergraduates. Anton emphasized that Green Labs holds value not only for undergraduates and postgraduates but also for faculty and professors.
Anton’s primary responsibility is managing the Green Lab certification process for labs across campus. At the time of the interview, the Sustainability Office had secured funding to certify 36 of the roughly 400 labs in Trinity, with 34 other labs actively working toward certification. This certification is granted through private accreditation organisations specializing in lab sustainability, such as My Green Lab, the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF), or Green DiSC. Additionally, the Green Labs committee offers a voluntary sustainability module for lab technicians and professors, covering best practice for both dry and wet labs. However, participation has been limited, with only 36 members of the college completing the module so far. “Buy-in has been one of the biggest challenges,” Anton expressed. “It takes about eight hours to complete the module, which is a significant time commitment for people’s busy schedules.” He also stressed the importance of raising awareness about campus sustainability gaps to boost participation: “They’re often willing to do more than we ask, but most are unaware of sustainable practices.”
“The main problem is the plug load, having all the equipment plugged in when it doesn’t need to be. ”
With so many moving parts in a lab, you’d have to wonder, what’s the biggest obstacle to sustainability? According to Anton, it’s energy consumption: “The main problem is the plug load, having all the equipment plugged in when it doesn’t need to be. There’s computers left on overnight in dry labs across campus, and that’s 20 or 30 computers per lab.” The TBSI alone uses roughly half of the electricity on campus, largely due to the legally-required air circulation systems in labs. While many energy uses, like air circulation, are difficult to reduce, there are many activities with big carbon footprints which can easily be cut down on. “There is a lot of waste that is being produced that could be significantly reduced if the right practices are put in place. Right now, it’s up to the individual”, Anton remarked. “But the dream is having a centralized system where all labs are encouraged to participate.” For the Green Labs initiative, the dream of sustainable labs can only be realised with sweeping change to lab practices and the way we as a college provide lab training to students, staff and faculty.
“Regardless of your background or what you’re interested in, you’ll likely find a niche within the committee,”
Anton encourages students passionate about sustainability to get involved with the Green Labs committee, which offers a variety of roles to suit different interests and skill sets. “Regardless of your background or what you’re interested in, you’ll likely find a niche within the committee,” Anton explained. Joining the committee not only helps advance sustainability on campus but also provides an opportunity to collaborate with like-minded peers and gain valuable experience in environmental stewardship. For those looking to learn more about sustainability initiatives at Trinity or to explore other ways to get involved, Anton suggests the Trinity Sustainability webpage as a great place to start. “What I really want to get out there is that just by being aware, you’ve taken one of the biggest and most important steps towards sustainability”.
