We recognise that determining the sustainability of products you bring into the lab is a difficult and often complex process; there are currently many different approaches on how more sustainable products are marketed.

Faced with such complexity, it is often easy to embrace ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ icons or narratives. But you can often be faced with the question of how or why they deserve this ‘eco’ status.

At SLS, our aim is to provide comprehensive information about the products we sell and enable you to make the most well-informed choices as possible. Therefore, our sustainability attributes align to the following principles:

-          specific to individual products

-          evidence-based using primary data from our suppliers, and

-          aim to include as much information as possible about the entire product lifecycle

This approach will enable you to make more conscientious choices which align with your lab or organisation’s sustainability strategy.

Our attributes are defined by the five stages of a product lifecycle: from raw material, to manufacture, packaging and distribution, use in the lab, and disposal (or end-of-life). 

A product receives an award/icon if it meets one or more of the criteria under that lifecycle stage. By viewing a product online or in any forthcoming marketing material, you can use these icons to straight away determine how that product performs from a sustainability perspective throughout the stages of its lifecycle.

To understand why a particular product has received an award, you can click on the sustainability tab of that product and there will be a list of criteria specific to that product from the list below:

Raw material:

-          Made using more than 80% recycled or renewable material

-          Made using material with a reduced environmental impact, e.g. a refrigerant with a low GWP (Global Warming Potential)

-          Designed to reduce the use of raw materials

Manufacture:

-          Made in a facility which runs on >90% renewable energy

-          Measures were in place during the manufacture of this product to reduce energy consumption

-          Measures were in place during the manufacture of this product to generate less waste

-          Measures were in please during the manufacture of this product to reduce water usage

-          Aligns with the principles of green chemistry

Packaging/distribution:

-          Manufactured in the UK or Ireland

-          Country of origin has an Environmental Performance Index (EPI) greater than 60

-          Plastic-free packaging

-          Reduces the need for packaging

-          Packaging return scheme offered for this product

Use:

-          Product contributes to a reduced energy consumption

-          Product contributes to a reduced water consumption

-          Product reduces or replaces the need for consumables

-          Built to last – minimum 5-year warranty, and spare part-servicing available

Disposal:

-          Product is recyclable (excludes packaging). A recycling or repurposing scheme is offered for this product.

-          A feature of this product enhances its biodegradability.

It is important to note that these attributes do not provide quantitative carbon metrics for the product lifecycle.

For information or advice on how you can improve sustainability in your lab, contact our Sustainability Manager Lucy Moore - lcmoore@scientific-labs.com.