SUSTAINABILITY

BEGINS AT HOME

At SLS, from our supply chain to our in-house practices we aim to be the most sustainable and environmentally friendly distributor to the laboratory market. We have a continuous commitment to offering sustainable products that offer the highest levels of build quality and performance, the longest lifespan and the lowest running costs. Through our dedicated sustainability team, we continuously review our range whilst ensuring our own practices meet the highest environmental standards.

It is our promise to support our customers in their efforts to eliminate needless expenditure and minimise the environmental impact of their research and processes. Working closely together, we remain committed to helping our customers achieve their own sustainability targets, delivering a better world for us and future generations.

To request a hard copy of our Sustainability brochure, please click here.

Or to download the PDF, click here.

Here are a few of the initiatives we're currently running:

160,000 SHEETS

Implementation of a new paperless Warehouse Management System saving approx. 160,000 sheets of paper a year.
VOID FILLER MATERIAL

We reuse any VOID FILLER MATERIAL sent by our suppliers.
£150k INVESTMENT

in a new insulated roof to the Nottingham site, reducing heat loss, leading to less gas usage.
WEEE WASTE

5680kg non-obligated WEEE waste recycled

4600kg hazardous non-obligated WEEE waste recycled
VANS OUR FLEET

have Euro 6 engines (The Euro 6 standard sets out the acceptable limits for exhaust emissions since September 2015. Over half of our deliveries are 100% carbon offset.
CO2 IN 2022

we will have planted 2500 trees which will offset 83.325 tons of CO2 (per year) minimising our impact on the environment and our carbon footprint.
TONS RECYCLED

1.020 tons of waste glass to new

20.59 tons of cardboard recycled

2.6 tons mixed plastics recycled

3.71 tons of office paper recycled
TONER WASTE RECYCLING

In partnership with Clover Environmental solutions, each collection raises money for charities, Bullying UK & Leeds. 
22.00 TONS of waste

100% waste diverted from landfill equating to a CO2 reduction equal to four cars off the road for a year or 33 trees planted over their lifetime.
FSC CERTIFIED SOURCES

All cardboard boxes bought for packaging are from FSC CERTIFIED SOURCES.
£7K INVESTMENT

in a high speed environmental automatic door at goods in, to prevent heat loss leading to less gas usage.
LIGHTS OVER 75%

of our Nottingham facility uses low energy motion sensor LED lighting.
Travel SCHEME

We have joined Nottingham’s Tram2Work scheme to encourage more employees to use public transport.
60K PLASTIC CUPS

the use of which has been eliminated due to EVERYONE at the Nottingham site having been given reusable cups for use with the vending machines
5.13 TONS

of tip boxes removed from customers' sites under our waste to energy scheme. We are currently trialing a Plastic2Purpose scheme.
30% REDUCTION

in electricity consumption between 2019 and 2021.
RECYCLABLE CATALOGUES

Our catalogues are all recyclable and we encourage our customers to do so.
GREEN GAS BIOMETHANE By using green gas we reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. 

TIPS FOR A

SUSTAINABLE LAB

Centrifuge tubes

Glass centrifuge tubes

Pipette tips

Volumetric (bulb) pipettes or graduated if Class A
accuracy is not required. <1mL - use microsyringe with
repeating despenser attachment

Weighing boats

Weighing papers or glass boats, FSC certified paper or weighing boats

Tubes & bottles

Substitute glass wherever possible

Single-Use Plastics

  • Where possible substitute plastics with glass, card or paper
  • Whilst it is good to recycle it’s even better to re-use or reduce. Where sterility isn’t critical
  • e.g. teaching labs, reusing will not only cut plastic waste but reduce costs
    • If possible, reduce the size of tube or container that you use
    • Try to cut down on packaging – buy in bulk and share resources with others

 

Saving Energy

  • ULT Freezers – by increasing the temperature from -80 to -70 the energy consumption is potentially reduced by up to 37%. Not only that, it puts less strain on the compressor and lengthens the life of the freezer!
    • Use racking – prevents big temperature changes
    • Keep an inventory so old samples aren’t taking up valuable space – cutting down the need for more freezer space
    • Keep opening times down to a minimum
    • Defrost regularly
  • Fume Hoods – generally ventilation systems and fume hoods can fall into two categories – Constant Air Volume (CAV) and Variable Air Volume (VAV). The amount air flowing through VAV fume hoods can be adjusted by the height of the sash. If the sash is lowered the speed of the exhaust fan and the volume of air being exhausted is reduced. The energy savings could be as much as 40%
  • Drying Cabinets – use a timer switch so these aren't left on overnight or over the weekend
  • Laminar Flow and Biosafety Cabinets – turn off when not in use. They can consume around 15kWh/day – about half as much as an average house!
  • Energy – anything that’s used for heating or cooling can consume a lot of energy so switch it off when not inuse. Alternatively use timer switches so equipment can be turned on and ready for use first thing – if needs be. Remember the heat generated from freezers, water baths, Dri Blocks, ovens etc will also make your lab’s air con work harder and in turn increase energy usage

Labs consume three to five times more energy than the equivalent sized office

Other Considerations

Estimated life span of product

Origin of product

Water consumption

Disposal/removal of product

Packaging and disposal thereof

Recyclability

CERTIFICATES

AND POLICIES

We take our CSR very seriously and this not only covers our sustainability goals, but other areas including human rights, equal opportunities, modern slavery, environmental and waste management.

If you have an idea for sustainable case study - please speak to your local SLS representative

If you can't find the document you are seeking please contact us.

Environmental Policy Statement
Corporate Social Responsibility Policy
Modern Slavery Statement
Equal Opportunities Policy
Waste Management Policy
REGO Certification

INDEPENDENT

CASE STUDIES

We commission independent case studies, carried out by Green Light Laboratories, looking into different sustainable issues within the laboratory

If you have an idea for sustainable case study - please speak to your local SLS representative

Examples of case studies include:

COMPLETED 2023

Twisters, Mixers, Stirrers and Shakers

Wet labs employ a variety of equipment types for preparing and agitating materials. Vortex mixers, magnetic stirrers, and orbital shakers are routinely used.

IKA have recently released the IKA Twister (Figure 1), a product which can perform the functions of all three of these equipment types. Products such as the IKA Twister represent a response by industry to reduce the environmental impact of scientific research. Products which use less raw materials and reduce supply chain emissions are an essential component of the scientific sector becoming carbon neutral.


READ MORE
COMPLETED 2022

Eppendorf F740HI Racking Study

Introduction

Ultra-Low Temperature (ULT) freezers are well known to be high consumers of energy. Holding set temperatures 90°C to 100°C colder than their environment will always require a significant amount of energy.

One way to reduce ULT freezer energy consumption is to warm up the set temperature. By doing so energy consumption will be reduced from 18-34% depending on the model, age & condition of the freezer.

When considering warming up their ULT freezers, some end users raise concerns that by taking such an action they may expose their samples/contents to unfavorable temperatures during their day to day operation.

Find out more.


READ MORE
COMPLETED 2021

Door Opening Performance Study, Fridges and Freezers - University of Bristol

This study aims to highlight some of the data and criteria which should be considered when selecting the most sustainable solution based on the specific needs of the researcher, their laboratory and the materials they are storing.


READ MORE
COMPLETED 2021

Barts Cancer Institute Tissue Culture Labs Sustainability

A look at how Barts Cancer Institute have used the  iWash™, the world’s first and only slide washer especially designed for single-use cell counter slides to improve sustainability in their tissue culture labs.


READ MORE
COMPLETED 2020

ULT Freezer Racking Study with the University of Oxford and Green Light Laboratories

Read the report from Green Light Laboratories on the impact of ULT racking upon performance at the University of Oxford below.

The data was collected over a two week period at the Department of Plant Sciences, University of Oxford. The Eppendorf ULT freezer (F570h) tested was supplied for the study by us and the racking was supplied by Westbart.


Visit the URL to view additional information »

COMPLETED 2020

Shaking Incubator Energy Consumption Case Study

Report from Green Light Laboratories on 'Shaking Incubator Energy Consumption' at the Francis Crick Institute, Kings College London and M.R.C Laboratory of Molecular Biology.


Visit the URL to view additional information »

COMPLETED 2020

Comparing the Performance of Fridges Case Study

Report from Green Light Laboratories comparing the performance of energy and temperature on a range of fridges at the University of Birmingham. 


Visit the URL to view additional information »

COMPLETED 2020

Best Practice to Minimise Lab Freezer Running Costs

A case study on the best practice to minimise lab freezer running costs in the Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick. 


Visit the URL to view additional information »

SLS SERVICE

CENTRE

Be more sustainable by servicing your laboratory equipment instead of replacing it. Servicing helps to prolong the life of lab equipment and avoid repeat purchases, saving you money but alsoreducing unnecessary waste.

 

SLS understand that when it comes to servicing equipment, speed and convenience are just as important as the quality of the workmanship. That is why the SLS Service Centre tailors itsservice to meet each customer’s specific requirements. Our experienced, fully qualified, industry authorised engineers and service partners can service and repair a broad range of laboratory instrumentation nationwide.

 

You will find our service options available here.You can click here to send us the details of your enquiry or call us on 0115 977 5075 where we will be happy to assist.

SLS

SUSTAINABILITY

We believe in looking at our own impact on the environment and continuously work to look for ways in which we can lessen it through alternatives and innovation. Watch the video below to find out more.