"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now." - Chinese Proverb

The global plastic waste burden totaled 460 million tons in 2019 [1]. Similarly, approximately 8.4 million tons of pandemic related plastic waste were produced in 193 countries and hospitals were estimated to contribute 70% of that total number [2]. Due to the consumption of resources and mass generation of waste, clinical labs notably have a substantial environmental footprint. Fortunately, there are an increasing number of clinical labs evaluating ways to implement sustainability strategies, which are sometimes referred to as green lab practices. However, the question of where is the best place to start is actively being investigated.

Recently, in November of 2022, the European Federation of Laboratory Medicine (EFLM) Guidelines for Green and Sustainable Laboratories was published [3].  These guidelines detail methods for implementing water conservation, energy conservation and waste management initiatives [3]. As an initial step, we decided to identify waste streams produced by clinical chemistry to determine if there were opportunities for recycling.

In our recent study, we developed a methodology to evaluate recyclables in clinical chemistry using the complete metabolic panel (CMP) as a pilot [3]. We focused on the waste produced from our Abbott Alinity c analyzers. These analyzers utilize kits supplied by the manufacturer (Figure. 1). The kits are composed of plastic reagent wedges (a), cardboard packaging (b), and a paper insert (c). Over a year of running a CMP, we were able to determine that 1,089.2 kg of total waste weight studied was produced. The weight of recyclable materials (233.6 kg) was approximately 21.4% of the total waste weight [4].

Our evaluation highlighted a substantial non-recyclable waste issue from a small component of our laboratory testing menu. However, from this assessment, we were able to successfully demonstrate sustainable targets for recycling within clinical chemistry that could be used to evaluate other waste streams in the laboratory. In addition, this study allowed us to spark dialogue within our department and vendors as well as develop a basic recycling game plan. 

Firstly, evaluation of all disposables in a single waste stream could be performed to determine targets for recycling. Secondly, identification of recycling codes (universal recycling codes 1-6) should be utilized, and receptacles provided. Common recyclables include paper, cardboard packaging, and plastics. Once receptacles are placed, they should be clearly labeled with the material that is permitted to be deposited for recycling. Also, they should be in easily accessible areas of the lab and cover the entirety of your lab. The collected recyclables can be distributed to the appropriate recycling facilities. For the non-recyclable materials or those contaminated with biomedical waste, it is important that they appropriately disposed of according to local and national regulations. Lastly, recycling is a laboratory wide effort. Encouragement is essential for staff to ensure recycling instead of depositing recyclables into commonly used trash receptacles. 

Overall, implementing recycling is a small step that can begin your laboratory’s process of becoming a greener, sustainable lab.

References 

  1. Hannah Ritchie and Max Roser (2018) - "Plastic Pollution". Published online at OurWorldInData.org. Retrieved from: 'https://ourworldindata.org/plastic-pollution' [Online Resource]
  2. Peng Y, Wu P, Schartup AT, Zhang Y. Plastic waste release caused by COVID-19 and its fate in the global ocean. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2021;118(47):e2111530118. doi:10.1073/pnas.2111530118
  3. Ozben, Tomris & Rampi, Valerie & Gruson, Damien & Gammie, Alastair & Lopez, J. & Fragão-Marques, Mariana & Brennan, Wendy & Jovicnic, Snezana & Sagin, Ferhan & Stankovic, Sanja & Scott, Sheri. (2022). EFLM-GREEN-LAB-BOOKLET.
  4. Raeshun T Glover, MD and others, Opportunities for recycling in an automated clinical chemistry laboratory produced by the comprehensive metabolic panel, American Journal of Clinical Pathology, Volume 160, Issue 2, August 2023, Pages 119–123, https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcp/aqad031