Since its inception, we have continuously been fully supportive of the LEAF initiative and are always open to adapting our laboratory practices to minimise the impact we have on the environment. We are very proud of our long-standing relationship with the LEAF initiative and the decade of awards. We hope to continue to support the LEAF initiative and look forward to working further with the LEAF team to continually improve on our sustainability performance.
Bernard Freeman, SGDP Laboratory Manager
18 July 2024
SGDP labs receive sustainability award 10 years running
The Social, Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) Centre laboratories have been awarded the top sustainability accreditation for the tenth consecutive year as part of UCL’s Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF).
Researchers and technicians at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience at King’s College London have implemented a range of sustainability measures to optimise the environmental impact of the SGDP laboratories. They received gold accreditation for the past nine years and silver accreditation in their first year of application, which was the highest available at the time.
Over the last decade, the team has successfully reduced the carbon footprint of the laboratories by maximising recycling, careful management of stock and waste as well as attempting to minimise power usage, contributing to a more sustainable laboratory operation.
Bernard Freeman, SGDP Laboratory Manager, said: "Laboratories use high amounts of electricity and therefore are inherently not very environmentally friendly – this tends to be due to the types of equipment typically used in many labs including the extensive and necessary use of ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers for storage of samples."
The team is working to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills, substituting harmful chemicals and establishing a detailed waste segregation system. They share, repair, donate and sell excess items, and transfer obsolete equipment between King’s departments to extend the life of resources.
Lighting has been upgraded to energy-efficient LEDs, with motion control added in newly refurbished areas to reduce the laboratory’s carbon footprint and lower electricity costs. Tracking systems called SADMAN and SOCS are employed for sample and stock management to conserve energy used for refrigeration and storage.
The team collaborates with other King’s laboratories to share best practice regarding sustainability efforts.
It’s wonderful to see the commitment and passion of the SGDP Centre team, who are accelerating climate action at King’s and making the University a more sustainable place to work and study. At King’s we are determined to reduce the negative impacts of our activity and a key aim in our Climate & Sustainability Action Plan is to extend LEAF across all our laboratories. This requires the dedication of our community and achievements like this show our efforts are truly making a difference.
Professor Frans Berkhout, Assistant Principal (King's Climate & Sustainability)
LEAF is a nationally recognised scheme developed by UCL to improve the sustainability and efficiency of laboratories and help address the climate and ecological emergencies through scientific practice.
In this story
Laboratory Manager