The University of Westminster’s labs have been awarded with the Silver Award for sustainability from the Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF). This framework assesses the number of sustainability actions taken by laboratories from across the world in order to improve their sustainability and efficiency.
The LEAF programme has been developed by University College London in partnership with the UK Reproducibility Network (UKRN) and the National Technician Development Centre (NTDC). It comprises four elements, one of which is the framework, where laboratories are awarded either a Bronze, Silver or Gold level depending on how many sustainability actions they take. The laboratories are assessed annually on waste, energy, water use, consumption of materials, safe procedures and more. The laboratories are then externally audited and assessed.
There are 33 criteria for the Award, including the functionality of a waste segregation system, the use of a comprehensive induction process for new arrivals, the consideration of energy and materials consumption.
The journey to improve sustainability in the labs began with the lab technicians meticulously cataloguing and bidding farewell to long-forgotten reagents and dusty bottles of unknown solutions. The lab’s ecosystem was also improved with a clean-up, creating clarity in the environment and turning it into a model of efficiency. However, the most remarkable feature of the journey towards sustainability was the push to procure more energy-efficient equipment once they reach the end of life, as well as the open communication and lab training which went successfully to ensure compliance.
Dularee Goonetilleke, Sustainability Coordinator in the Sustainability Team at Westminster, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to have been awarded LEAF's Silver Award. By working within the LEAF framework, our labs are addressing energy, water and resource consumption, as well as waste production. Our team is driving sustainability and environmental management within Life Sciences and are a strong example for teams across our University and beyond! A huge thank you to our devoted team of Technicians who put in so much hard work to achieve this certification.”
Kim Storey, Head Technician, said: “I would like to say that I am very proud of how the Westminster lab technicians worked together to gain this Award and incorporate some great sustainable solutions into our laboratories. Through these Herculean efforts, our labs didn't just clean up—it revolutionised its very culture. We emerged leaner, greener, and more collaborative, proving that even in the world of science, a little tidying up can lead to silver-lined success. Our Silver LEAF award now stands as a shining testament to what can be achieved when a lab decides to turn over a new leaf!”
Assistant Technician Ignas Stankaitis added: “Working towards the Award was a whole team effort, with all of us working together to come up with efficient solutions.”
This accreditation directly contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7: Affordable and Clean Energy and 12: Responsible Consumption and Production. Since 2019, the University of Westminster has used the SDGs holistically to frame strategic decisions to help students and colleagues fulfil their potential and contribute to a more sustainable, equitable and healthier society.
Read more about the Sustainable Development Policy at Westminster.
