19
December
2018
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10:32
Europe/London

CEAS brings home gold at Green Impact Awards

The School of Chemical Engineering and Analytical Science's (CEAS) commitment to sustainability has been recognised at the 2018 Green Impact Awards. The School took home 18 awards overall, ten of which were gold.

Of these ten, nine were lab-related and one office-related, while the remaining eight were comprised of four silver (three lab, one office), two bronze (both office), and two 'working towards' (one lab, one office). The overall tally of 18 marks a significant rise on the ten awards picked up last year.

The School has taken various steps to improve its sustainability. They include labs sharing resources - such as freezers and analytical equipment - and having a shared chemical inventory, which is more efficient when run as a group. This serves to reduce energy costs in the running of equipment, waste chemicals, and the packaging and shipping costs that come with these.

I believe that researchers in chemistry and chemical engineering have a responsibility to consider the impact of their research as these industries can be a great burden on the environment, and that needs to be addressed.
Aleksander Tedstone, PDRA in CEAS

Tea bag collection from tea bag researchSome labs have also implemented a traffic light system for plugs to encourage the proper shutdown of equipment, with anything green OK to turn off.

Offices have contributed by reducing waste and emissions, as well as promoting a healthier lifestyle through innovative methods such as working with the labs to see if the plastic and paper in tea bags can be separated to allow composting and recycling.

The office team has also worked hard to implement a culture shift in The Mill to better highlight environmental issues and promote change. In the coming year both the lab and office teams will work together to tackle waste, with the lab team continuing research into innovative plastic recycling.

Our research in the catalysis and porous materials group relates with what we are trying to achieve through the Green Impact initiatives by creating sustainable processes and an overall reduction in waste.
Adam Greer, PDRA in CEAS
Implementing Green Impact for the labs helps us make them more sustainable and better for the environment.
Sarayute Chansai, PDRA in CEAS

Find out more about the Green Impact Awards.

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