Green Assist: Advancing sustainability in labware waste

In Ireland, the University of Galway, Technological University of the Shannon, in collaboration with industry leader Novelplast Teoranta (Co. Meath), have proposed an ambitious project to reduce labware waste. The project aims at first to provide education on the principles of lab sustainability and the circular economy, thus fostering a culture that rewards eco-friendly practices. Secondly, the capacity to increase the reuse of plastic and glass labware, such as plastic and glass, within the entire lab sector in Ireland contuse to be explored, supported by members of the Irish Green Labs network. Thirdly, the potential to circularise decontaminated and flocked lab resins as a novel feedstock for Irish polymer tech companies that produce labware, such as Irish Life Sciences, is under investigation. 

The project team sought assistance from Green Assist and qualified to receive free tailored advisory support between November 2023 and January 2024.  

A key area where Green Assist made a significant contribution was the development of a robust business plan. The project team had an excellent idea and the technical know-how to implement it, but they needed Green Assist’s help in formalising their idea into a business plan. Hand-picked experts from the Green Assist’s Roster of Experts provided the necessary advisory support and successfully transformed the concept into a structured plan. 

Green Assist also helped the project team to validate the potential environmental impact. To this end, a second Green Assist expert supported the team in calculating the carbon footprint of their services as part of a life cycle assessment. This involved comparing the emissions that would be generated should labware be reused or circularised – to those generated by the current single-use-and-discard practice. Encouragingly, the potential emissions reduction was calculated to be at least 90% in the case of polypropylene- or polystyrene-based labware.

Dr Úna FitzGerald, the Lead investigator in Galway, greatly appreciated Green Assist’s support, noting: ‘The Green Assist Scheme has been invaluable in providing the financial and emissions-reduction evidence supporting our idea. This provides a strong foundation for pitching to potential investors and/or funding agencies, to take our idea to the next level.’

More information

Green Assist aims to build a pipeline for high-impact green investment projects in sectors related to biodiversity, natural capital and circular economy, as well as in non-environmental sectors.

Learn more about how Green Assist can help you get free tailored support for your green project or contact us at cinea-green-assistec [dot] europa [dot] eu (cinea-green-assist[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu). To request advisory services from Green Assist, simply fill out this short form.