Written By Emma Watson
Making Sustainability Practical for Researchers: Steps Toward Lower-Impact Science
Scientific research has a significant environmental impact owing to the excessive energy consumption, resource depletion, and waste generation associated with traditional laboratory practices. In recent years, driven by customer and regulatory expectations, sustainability has become increasingly important to the global scientific community. In this article, Erin Woodward, Director of Sustainability at Bio-Techne, outlines some of the ways that Bio-Techne is helping researchers integrate sustainability into everyday lab workflows—without compromising performance. Additionally, Eric Torres, Ph.D., Marketing Manager at Biotium, explains how Biotium is contributing to sustainable research by developing a range of Earth-Friendly Products.
Less Packaging Waste
Historically, most packaging materials were designed for single-use and ended up in landfills. However, there has been a global shift toward using packaging that is recyclable, compostable, or biodegradable. “By converting our 16-vial tub containers from plastic to paperboard, we’ve reduced our annual plastic use by approximately 32,000 kg,” says Woodward. “To further decrease packaging waste, we are working to replace foam inserts with paper alternatives, removing printed instructions from our products, and exploring the use of single-layer materials.” Importantly, these changes can simplify disposal, reduce laboratory waste streams, and support customers in meeting their own sustainability goals and procurement requirements.
Greener Labs
Laboratories typically consume far more energy, electricity, and water than an office building of equivalent size. Fume hoods, biosafety cabinets, and ultra-low temperature freezers are especially energy-intensive, while processes associated with high water usage include cleaning glassware and autoclaving equipment, reagents, and waste. “Bio-Techne uses My Green Lab® to help reduce energy, water, and waste in laboratories through standardized, evidence-based practices,” notes Woodward. “We have four certified labs and are actively expanding the My Green Lab program.”
Cleaner Energy
In addition to improving efficiency, transitioning to renewable energy sources is an important step toward reducing the overall environmental footprint of scientific research. “At Bio-Techne, over 50% of global electricity is powered by renewables, including 100% renewable electricity at our Minneapolis headquarters,” says Woodward. “We are also exploring the My Green Lab® ACT® Ecolabel, which provides transparent, third-party verified sustainability data to support purchasing and reporting decisions.” Bio-Techne is also in the process of validating its greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets through the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), one of the world’s fastest-growing voluntary corporate climate initiatives.
Trusted, Third-Party Validation
As well as My Green Lab and SBTi, there are other types of third-party validation to help organizations demonstrate progress, meet stakeholder expectations, and align with evolving regulatory and reporting frameworks. One such example is EcoVadis, a leading provider of business sustainability ratings, which placed Bio-Techne in the top 25% of companies assessed in 2025. Another is the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), a global non-profit that runs the world’s only independent environmental disclosure system. “We assess with CDP to uncover insights that can help promote more sustainable working practices,” reports Woodward. Additionally, Bio-Techne has signed the United Nations Global Compact, a voluntary initiative based on CEO commitments to implement universal sustainability principles and take steps to support UN goals.
To learn more about how Bio-Techne advances science responsibly by integrating sustainability throughout all phases of a product lifecycle, visit
https://www.bio-techne.com/about/corporate-and-social-responsibility
Earth-Friendly Products
Biotium’s range of Earth-Friendly Products was designed to be less hazardous, less toxic, and more efficient (meaning less reagents used) than established alternatives. It includes GelRed® and GelGreen® DNA Gel Stains that, in contrast to ethidium bromide, are non-toxic and can be disposed down the drain. “GelRed and GelGreen are also membrane-impermeant, unlike dyes such as SYBR Safe® and SYBR Green®, which can penetrate cells and are therefore potentially hazardous,” says Torres. “Similarly, our other DNA binding dye based products like EvaGreen® qPCR Dye, AccuGreen® Broad Range, and AccuBlue® High Sensitivity dsDNA quantitation kits are both non-toxic and non-mutagenic.” Further Earth-Friendly Products include One-Step Blue® Protein Gel Stain, a more environmentally-friendly alternative to Coomassie Blue that doesn’t require methanol or acetic acid in the staining and destaining solutions, and the EvaEZ™ Fluorometric Polymerase Activity Assay Kit, which measures DNA polymerase activity without radioisotopes. These less toxic alternatives do not require hazardous waste disposal but users should consult with their local safety office for proper disposal guidelines.
Cleaner Energy
FluoroFinder’s Inventory Integration Tool helps you to work more sustainably by incorporating reagents that are already available in-house into panel design. Not only does this reduce packaging waste and cut costs by preventing unnecessary ordering, but it can also streamline research through making reagents more accessible to the wider team.
