Using life cycle assessments to guide reduction in the carbon footprint of single-use lab consumables

• Published in: PLOS sustainability and transformation 2023-09, Vol.2 (9), p.e0000080
• Main Authors: Ragazzi, Isabella, Farley, Martin, Jeffery, Kate, Butnar, Isabela
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Assessments; Carbon; Carbon footprint; Climate change; Decarbonization; Emissions; Emissions control; Energy consumption; Footprint analysis; Greenhouse gases; High density polyethylenes; Laboratories; Life cycle analysis; Life cycles; Literature reviews; Plastics; Polyethylene terephthalate; Polymers; Product life cycle
• ISSN: 2767-3197; 2767-3197
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000080

Scientific research pushes forward the boundaries of human knowledge, but often at a sizable environmental cost. The reliance of researchers on single-use plastics and disposable consumables has come under increased scrutiny as decarbonisation and environmental sustainability have become a growing priority. However, there has been very little exploration of the contribution of laboratory consumables to ‘greenhouse gas’ (GHG) carbon emissions. Carbon footprint exercises, if capturing consumables at all, typically rely on analyses of inventory spend which broadly aggregate plastic and chemical products, providing inaccurate data and thus limited insight as to how changes to procurement can reduce emissions. This paper documents the first effort to quantify the carbon footprint of common, single-use lab consumables through emission factors derived from life cycle assessments (LCAs). A literature review of LCAs was conducted to develop emission factors for lab consumables, considering the emission hotspots along each product’s life cycle to identify where emission reduction policies can be most effective. Results can be used as inputs for lab practitioners seeking to understand and mitigate their carbon footprint.