Circular Economy for Labs | Community of Practice
Theater
PHIL Talks
PHIL stands for People Helping Improve Laboratories, but it’s also a nod to I2SL’s founding president and executive director, the late Phil Wirdzek. Phil always made space for lab sustainability professionals with new ideas about how to make labs more resource-efficient, so PHIL Talks will give voice to those in our community who have great ideas to share and a passion for improving labs and the environment.
Do you have an idea for PHIL talk? Learn more about how to submit a video.
Forum Recordings
The Circular Economy for Labs Community of Practice hosts forums to bring lab managers and users together with their suppliers to discuss solutions to reduce waste, foster sustainable purchasing, and reduce toxicity in products and packaging. Watch a recording of a forum that interests you here.
The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) Circular Economy for Labs Community of Practice first-ever forum focused on the reduction of expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam. Though it has benefits for shipping fragile or cold storage items, the abundant use of EPS foam containers and packaging in laboratories has had some negative environmental, social, and public health impacts in the greater scientific sector. During the forum, Kelly Weisinger of the Environmental Defense Fund provided an overview of the Technical Bulletin on the Use of EPS Foam in Laboratories. Anthony Michetti of Cell Signaling Technology and Dustin Andre from Millipore Sigma shared their successes and lessons learned in EPS alternatives and packaging waste reduction. If you missed it, you can view a recording of the forum here, and then head over to the Member Forum to pose your own questions about EPS or share your success stories!
In honor of World Water Day in March, this forum focused on water reduction and reuse in labs. Learn about ways to reduce water and reuse water in labs, through equipment replacement, researcher education, and sustainable design. A representative of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA’s) WaterSense program shared tips from their best practices guide on water reduction in labs, and three I2SL Sustainable Laboratory Award winners shared their successes with autoclave education, waterless condensers, and stormwater reclamation.
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Robbie Pickering, ERG, a contractor to EPA’s WaterSense program
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Star Scott, University of Georgia
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Kate Andrews, University of British Columbia
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Patrick Murphy, Vanderweil Engineers (for a Lehigh University water reclamation project)