SAFE Labs

IRIBHMComputationalLabs_2026:

Before making travel plans, we encourage lab members to consult the ULB’s incentive programs for green travel. For conferences attended as a group, we typically make a group purchase.

We encourage lab members to take advantage of the ULB’s incentives for sustainable commuting (e.g. cycling and public transport). Recipients of FNRS grants can also receive compensation, information can be found under the HR documents section.

Regarding lab equipment, there are institute-wide internal rules and guidelines to follow. Typically, we encourage members to reuse, share and donate equipment when possible. For this purpose, the institute-wide mailing list can be used.

CNIDevoLab_2025:

We follow the guidelines of CNRS and Observatoire Océanologique de Banyuls-sur-Mer for sustainability.

We favour, where possible, travel by train or other lower impact means. Lab waste is recycled according to instructions. We aim to minimize plastic consumables, for example by using smaller containers when possible.

GalupaLab_2025:

This aspect should deserve more of our attention in a near future, as a lab/team. At the institute level, some measures for energy-saving have been implemented (e.g., reduced lights outside of working hours, freezers at -70°C instead of -80°C) and we have an active working group dedicated to green initiatives, called “CBI 1.5”, based on the initiative “Labos 1.5”. We should strive to minimise energy consumption and waste production; any ideas are welcome.

• When traveling for work, we prioritise more sustainable options (e.g. train over plane) when possible, especially when traveling time remains below 8 hours
• We recycle as much as possible, in the office and in the lab
• We place orders in bulk to reduce shipments
• We share equipment across teams and departments
• We turn off unused equipment when prolonged downtime is forecasted, if possible and not detrimental to the instruments

ConservationBiogeographyLab_2026:

Regarding travel, we therefore commit to the following four principles:

• Evaluating the necessity of every trip – and making it worthwhile. We are highly selective when deciding on trips and substitute them with online meetings wherever possible. If we take trips, we make them worthwhile. This can include making less frequent, but longer trips (e.g., fieldwork), combining travels (e.g., fieldwork and a conference), or waiting a year to attend a conference (e.g., a conference in Europe vs. overseas).
• Using more sustainable modes of transportation. The vast majority of travel-related emissions our lab produces are through flying (e.g., >90% in 2017-2019). We commit to avoiding air travel, wherever possible, by replacing short-haul flights with other modes of transportation and by being particularly cautious when deciding on long-haul flights (that cause the majority of our travel emissions).
• Monitoring and documenting our climate impacts. To help inform our decisions about future travel and to be transparent, we are monitoring our travel-related emissions and publish them annually on our website. Our goal is to reduce our overall per-capita emissions.
• Offsetting unavoidable emissions. For all unavoidable trips that are longer than >250km, we commit to carry out offsetting. We realize that offsetting is the least effective way of reducing our climate impact of our travelling, emphasizing the importance of the first two points.

OttLab_2025:

The lab strives to minimise energy consumption and waste production. We identified three main areas of impact: travel, recycling and economical use of equipment. Travel: We encourage sustainable transport options both for long-haul travel and for daily commute. For long-hauls trips, when funding allows, the lab covers the most sustainable travel option. PhD students enrolled at Humboldt University have local public transport included, and employee benefits include reduced public transport subscriptions. Recycling: To minimize the environmental impact of lab waste, we avoid mixing lab waste and regular waste. We recycle regular waste according to local regulations. Economical use of equipment: when possible and not detrimental our instruments, we turn off unused equipment and lighting.

ReinhardLab_2025:

Research consumes a lot of energy and produces a lot of waste. While this cannot always be avoided for experimental or safety reasons, we have rules in place to minimize our footprint as much as possible:

Travels: Team members are required to travel by train or similar public transport means for trips <8h. Exceptions need to be discussed with the PI. SISSA employees can get a 10%discount on all Freccia travels, including private ones.

Correct waste management: Team members get instructed on correct disposal of hazardous waste and are requested to check safety information before discarding products they are not familiar with. Both in and outside the labs we have recycling bins for paper and plastic, and everyone is encouraged to use these for non-hazardous waste.

Bulk orders: Italian law requires public entities to use economical solutions, which includes combining orders to the same company from various labs. Furthermore, SISSA has the “Neurostore” which provides labs with many of the daily used consumables which hence can be ordered in large quantities to reduce shipping.

Shared facilities: We have quite a large number of shared facilities and equipment. These are managed by the technical staff and can be used by all SISSA labs.

RossiLab:

The lab strives to minimise energy consumption and waste production. We identified three main areas of impact: travel, recycling and economical use of equipment.

Travel: I encourage sustainable transport options both for long-haul travel and for daily commute. For long-hauls trips, when funding allows, I will cover the most sustainable travel option (up to 150% the price of the cheapest alternative). IIT policies also encourages the use of public transport over private cars and taxis. Lab members are encouraged to combine their work trips with other activities to reduce future emissions, like visiting related labs or institutes in the local area, or simply taking a holiday: in compliance with IIT policies, onwards or returning travel on away days will be covered if similar or less expensive. I incentivize sustainable options for daily commute: undergrad, master and PhD students enrolled at University of Trento benefit from discounted public transportation across the Trentino region.

Recycling: We recycle waste whenever possible. In the office space, segregated recylcing bins are provided and disposed of by cleaners; in the labs, we actively arrange our own recycling bins, and empty them when full. To minimize the environmental impact of lab waste, we avoid mixing contaminated materials (which is expensive and environmentally harmful to safely dispose of) with clean recyclable waste. Finally, we order equipment from local companies when the difference in cost is minimal.

Economical use of equipment: when possible and not detrimental our instruments, we turn off unused equipment when prolonged downtime is forecasted.

MariottiLab:

Travel: I actively promote the use of sustainable transport options, both for long-haul travel and daily commuting. For long-distance trips, I prioritize covering the most environmentally friendly travel options whenever funding permits.

Waste Management: All team members receive clear instructions on the proper disposal of hazardous waste and are encouraged to consult safety information before discarding unfamiliar materials. Recycling bins for paper and plastic are available throughout the labs and surrounding areas, and everyone is urged to use them for non-hazardous waste.

Procurement: When fundings policy allows, we prioritize sourcing equipment from local suppliers to reduce environmental impact and support the local economy whenever the cost difference is minimal.

DonaLab_2025:

Research inevitably consumes energy and generates waste, but we can—and should—strive to minimize our environmental footprint. All lab members are expected to act responsibly and adopt sustainable practices whenever possible.

• Waste Management: Ensure proper disposal of hazardous materials. If you’re unsure about how to discard a substance, consult safety data sheets or ask for guidance. Always recycle when appropriate.
• Energy Use: Be mindful of electricity consumption. Turn off lights, equipment, and appliances when they are not in use.
• Sustainable Purchasing: Whenever feasible, choose products from companies that offer environmentally friendly options or use minimal packaging. Share surplus consumables with others to avoid unnecessary waste.

INSIGHTLab_2026:

Please take climate concerns into account when planning conferences. If the choice is between two equally relevant conferences, and one can be reached by train whereas the other requires flying - consider prioritizing the one that can be reached by train.

LifespanCognitiveDynamicsLab_2026:

In the lab, we recognize the climate emergency and try our best to be mindful of our carbon footprint. That means to take the train whenever you can, even if it costs a bit more. That does not mean flying for conferences is necessarily out of the question, but we have to do so deliberately: it has to be a really valuable opportunity, and we should plan ahead to make the most of it (including a workshop, other local talks or events etc.).

UraiLab_2026:

We actively work on making academia a more sustainable place. In line with Leiden University’s polies I encourage travel by train, and may prioritize certain conferences based on their accessibility by train.

For projects that require significant resources (usually either in the lab or computing), I encourage discussing ways to minimize the environmental cost of our research.

RadzisheuskayaLab_2025:

We have a Silver Award from the LEAF lab sustainability initiative, and we follow a set of defined rules to maintain the Award. All the followed procedures can be found in the Sustainability section of our group’s Team channel.

Since everyone in the lab shares responsibility for ordering reagents, I expect you to regularly look for the most budget-friendly options and ask sales reps for discounts—especially when it comes to high-cost items. The same mindset applies to doing experiments: always be mindful of conserving resources. That means reducing waste, optimising how you use reagents, keeping reaction volumes low when possible, and avoiding unnecessary samples. Being smart about spending day to day helps us save up for bigger, more expensive—and very exciting—experiments down the line.

CoenLab_2025:

The lab strives to minimise energy consumption and waste production. We identified three main areas of impact: travel, recycling and economical use of equipment.

Travel: I encourage sustainable transport options both for long-haul travel and for daily commute. For long-haul trips, when funding allows, I will cover the most sustainable travel option. I also recognise remote-working hours spent productively on sustainable means of transport during private (non-work-related) trips. Lab members are also encouraged to combine their work trips with other activities to reduce future emissions, like visiting related labs or institutes in the local area, or simply taking a holiday. I incentivize sustainable options for daily commute: PhD students benefit from reduced costs on public transportation across, and all staff can participate in UCL’s cycle scheme to purchase a bike through salary sacrifice (meaning that the effective cost is reduced and spread over time).

Recycling: To minimize the environmental impact of lab waste, we avoid mixing truly contaminated materials (which is expensive and environmentally harmful to safely dispose of) with clean recyclable waste. We recycle waste whenever possible, and order equipment from local companies when the difference in cost is minimal.

Economical use of equipment: when possible and not detrimental our instruments, we turn off unused equipment when prolonged downtime is forecasted.

AeryJonesLab_2026:

-Transit: I encourage you to take public transportation or share taxis between airports and conference venues whenever possible. -Electricity: Turn off room lights when not in use and shut down computers between experiments. -Composting: Put coffee grounds, tea bags, and other compostable food scraps into the lab compost bin on the coffee cart.

GWLab_2026:

Sustainability as a core value: We acknowledge that the only way to stop climate change is to stop burning fossil fuels and that many efforts focused on carbon footprint or individual responsibility simply deflect blame from the corporations that are at fault. However, being mindful of our use and disposal of materials as a group can help us to understand changes we need to push for and help us to live according to our values. To that end, it is important that we keep track of lab supplies in the inventory, resulting in fewer expired products and more mindful ordering, when possible choose reusable over disposable and recyclable/durable materials (Glass, metal) over plastic (a petroleum product). In addition, when possible reuse or repurpose materials and break it down into its component parts. Organization and documentation help us to minimize waste while resisting hoarding. In addition, we choose to travel with purpose and limit unnecessary trips that require flying especially for short durations. When possible, we choose to take the train, bus, or drive in a carpool.

MsEELab_2026:

Many other organizations have catalogued best practices for lab sustainability. Wherever possible, we follow practices for research labs outlined by My Green Lab and the Brophy Lab (Leak et al., 2023), such as routine cleaning of freezers and setting ultracold storage to –70 ºC.