Laboratory Waste Landfill Diversion Working Group

Industry Lead: TBD

Coordinated by: I²SL

Learn about the activities of this working group.

This working group is addressing barriers and sharing best practices related to laboratory waste diversion, with an initial focus on reducing waste from suppliers and manufacturers. The working group is especially interested in improving the ability to recycle laboratory plastics, and increasing ways to divert Styrofoam cooler boxes and gel/ice packs from landfills. The group has identified two areas of focus: supplier-side barriers and opportunities, and purchaser-side barriers and opportunities.

Working Group Projects

• Animal bedding composting case study: The working group is compiling a case study to share information about the development and implementation of each several animal bedding compost programs at various universities.
• Community of Practice: I²SL is creating a Labs and Circular Economy Community of Practice for laboratory and campus sustainability managers and users to collaborate with one another other on ways to divert materials from landfills, address toxicity, and create less lab waste.
• Nitrile Glove Call to Action and Resource Guide: The purpose of this document is to call for Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for nitrile glove manufacturers and distributors, as well as to explain the current lifecycle of nitrile gloves from production to use to disposal. Additionally, this document will educate glove users and purchasers on best practices for procuring, using, and managing waste for nitrile gloves. Please let us know if you are interested in joining this project!
• Purchaser group: Collecting information on the priority of minimizing waste for laboratories through surveys and benchmarking research.
• Supplier group: Engaging with suppliers and manufacturers to understand current work, barriers to waste minimization, and opportunities that align with business models.

Get Involved

If you would like to join the working group, please fill out this questionnaire. 

Working Group Activities

The working group convenes approximately every 6 weeks via conference call. View the running meeting minutes.

• The working group developed the criteria for the Lab Sustainability Award for Programs or Initiatives. The winners were announced at the 2022 I²SL Annual Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
• Technical bulletin regarding use of expanded polystyrene (EPS) in laboratories published in July 2021: Michaela Barnett, a fellow from the Higher Education Associations Sustainability Consortium, worked with the Lab Waste Landfill Diversion Working Group to develop this impact statement, which provides an overview of the environmental issues associated with EPS, challenges associated with its disposal, and in-depth, concrete strategies for laboratories to reduce their use of this material and develop more sustainable strategies for its disposal.
• In 2021, Star Scott and Kelly Weisinger were part of the planning committee for the 2021 I²SL Annual Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.
• The working group covened for its 2020 annual meeting on Oct 8, 2020, in conjunction with the virtual I²SL Annual Conference.
• The winners of the Sustainable Purchasing Leadership Awards were announced at the 2019 I²SL Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado.
• Working Group members presented at the 2019 I²SL Annual Conference:
  • Landfill Diversion From Labs: Where We Are Now and Creative Programs to Inspire You
    Star Scott, University of Georgia
    Christine Alencar, University of Virginia
    Ilyssa O. Gordon, Cleveland Clinic
    Kelly O’Day Weisinger, Emory
    Whitney Hess, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Presentation
• Suppliers that received the ACT label (for accountability, consistency, and transparency) and institutions that promoted environmentally preferred purchasing were honored at the 2018 I²SL Go Beyond Awards Luncheon October 16, 2018. Read more.
• Working Group members presented at the 2018 I²SL Annual Conference on "Landfill Diversion from Labs: Progress on Upstream Innovations."
  • Landfill Diversion from Labs: Progress on Upstream Innovations
    Kelly O'Day Weisinger, Emory University and Emory Healthcare
    Ilyssa O. Gordon, Cleveland Clinic
    Presentation
• The working group conducted a laboratory waste diversion survey. View the results or summary.
• View the following 2017 I²SL Annual Conference presentations about laboratory waste diversion:
• Programs Emerged From R3 (Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle) Concept at the University of Michigan
  Sudhakar Reddy, University of Michigan
  Presentation
• What is a Green Lab Anyway?
  Allison Paradise, My Green Lab
  Presentation
• Next Generation Sustainable Procurement in Laboratories: Realizing the Dream Through the ACT Eco-Label
  Annie Bevan, Sustainability Made Simple
  Presentation
• The working group has developed a draft statement of vision and Goals. View the statement.
• Working group members presented at the 2016 I²SL Annual Conference. View the presentations below:
• Explorations of Landfill Diversion in Research, Teaching, and Clinical Labs
  Kelly O'Day Weisinger, Emory University and Emory Healthcare
  Presentation
  Ilyssa O. Gordon, Cleveland Clinic
  Presentation
  Kathryn Ramirez-Aguilar, University of Colorado Boulder

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