OPIC is committed to reducing our environmental impact.
Inspired by recent engagement with the LEAF accreditation scheme*, we are continually evaluating, in conjunction with Strubi, how the facility can be run more sustainably. New initiatives are communicated via our internal newsletter, and will be displayed on our OPIC community notice board.
Two initiatives of the week this week:
- Fume hood for ethane dispensing is being switched off on weekends now and the necessity of this in general is being raised with the safety office. Users are reminded to always close the sash fully after use, and, to minimise disruptions to airflow, only keep thawing ethane preparation cups in the hood.
- Puck storage transition.The pucks really are significantly more space efficient (10 pucks per canister housing 12 grid boxes, versus 5-6 falcons that can only hold 11 grid boxes if you are ambitious!), easier for record keeping, and, honestly, less of a faff for sample recovery (no 'Hungry Hippo'-style grid box hunting).
*For more info on LEAF, checkout: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/sustainable/leaf-laboratory-efficiency-assessment-framework
For additional information on the sustainability schemes going on more globally at the University of Oxford, please head over to:
https://www.ox.ac.uk/about/building-our-future/environmental
Really cool things going on!