Manage resources efficiently, minimise environmental impacts and take a more socially responsible approach in your operations: When it comes to improving sustainability in laboratories, the list of options is long. Using resource-saving products is one approach. This topic has certainly increased in importance within the industry over the years. This is also reflected by this year’s Scientists’ Choice Awards, organised by SelectScience, the leading online information source for scientists and medical professionals all over the world. The awards have honoured the industry’s movers and shakers since 2007. The “Sustainable Supplier of the Year” category, which was introduced this year, is intended to reward actions that demonstrate particularly high environmental awareness.

Since 1998, Starlab has been reducing the use of plastics in the production and packaging of many products. Last year, the company’s sterile TipOne refill system was nominated for the “Sustainable Laboratory Product of the Year” award. “Reduce! Reuse! Refill! Recycle!” is the credo that Starlab communicates to laboratories. “There are many disposable products, especially in the laboratory sector. The need for sterile environments and freedom from contamination are important factors that make it difficult to reuse products. “At Starlab, we have taken sustainability into account from the beginning and rely on long-term business planning and long-lasting products”, says Klaus Ambos, President & CEO of Starlab International. The company has been committed to resource-saving products and sustainable innovations for over two decades to ensure that research has as little impact as possible on the ecosystem. “The nomination shows that the laboratory industry appreciates this”, says Ambos.

#EcolutionMovement – a shared journey with sustainability as the destination

Every year, researchers are asked to nominate products and companies in various categories for the Scientists’ Choice Awards. Starlab offers the scientific community numerous points of contact with its environmentally conscious approach. With the #EcolutionMovement package of measures, Starlab has developed a comprehensive program that combines internal and external measures related to this complex topic. Ambos: “At Starlab, it is important to us to emphasise and support the importance of sustainable behaviour in everyday work. Whether in our company or at our customers’ laboratory – we want to encourage everyone to do this.” The company’s annual Sustainability Week provides a good opportunity for this, with the goal of bringing sustainability expertise directly into the laboratories and promoting a green dialogue at the European level. In 2023, more than 3,500 scientists and laboratory employees took part in around 85 events. The refill packaging of the well-known Starlab product, the TipOne pipette tips, is now more environmentally friendly. The company has started producing the transparent polypropylene packaging for all TipOne refills from 100% recycled plastic. The resulting plastic waste can also be recycled using the TipOne recycling service available in Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom and France. The recyclable material is collected in boxes and picked up directly from the customer. In the first three years, almost a fifth of Starlab customers in these markets used the recycling service.

Scientists and specialists working in the medical and laboratory sectors can vote for the “Sustainable Supplier of the Year” award until March 31st. The winner will be announced in April. Further information at: https://www.selectscience.net/scientistschoiceawards/PRDetails.aspx?artID=60552