At Bath, we're committed to reducing the carbon footprint of the goods and services we purchase. From the food sold on campus to laboratory consumables essential for the groundbreaking research conducted in your laboratories, it is increasingly important to consider where these items are sourced.

The most significant action we can all take to improve the sustainability of purchases made, is to avoid them in the first place. Therefore, your first step should be to critically assess the necessity of your purchases. Guidance here outlines the steps that you can take thereafter to improve the sustainability of what you buy.

Understanding a product's life cycle can be tricky, as it includes everything from its raw materials and manufacturing process to transportation, usage, and disposal at its end of life.

We are working with our suppliers to improve the sustainability of the things we buy, but this is a challenging and lengthy process.

Equipment

Add sustainability to your equipment tender

For guidance and advice, please contact Lewis Haynes, Category Procurement Manager, at lh295@bath.ac.uk

Look for certifications and standards

Prioritise suppliers who can provide sustainability credentials with their equipment.

You could also ask for a life cycle assessment, although not all suppliers can provide this.

Check the ACT Environmental Impact Factor Label database for the eco-credentials of equipment you consider buying.

Choose efficient equipment

When purchasing equipment, choose energy- and water-efficient models where possible. This is particularly important for:

• equipment with a high-power draw that is always switched on, such as freezers
• equipment with a high-to-medium power draw that you use intermittently
• equipment you have lots of in your lab, like water baths

When purchasing equipment with varied usage, you should compare four types of power draw:

• active
• idle or sleep
• standby
• the rated (nameplate) figure

Look for energy-saving features, such as low power state function, automatic shut off, and low-energy lighting. Similarly, water conservation features such as continuous cycling can greatly reduce total annual consumption.

If you're thinking about buying new desktop computers, think about whether the same tasks can be performed by laptops, which consume much less energy.

Campus Infrastructure can provide funding to help you pay for the most energy-efficient option for your equipment. You'll need to provide quotes for both the standard and more energy-efficient options and the funding can cover the difference. Send applications to energyteam@bath.ac.uk

Choose computing facilities with low energy-related carbon emissions

Some computing facilities are more energy-efficient than others.

Choose computing facilities in countries with a low-carbon electricity supply. Due to the different electricity production methods between countries, the carbon footprint associated with one kilowatt hour (kWh) can vary significantly.

Buy second-hand

Speak to other labs in your department or across the University to:

• check for unwanted equipment you could use
• donate unneeded equipment for others to make use of
• share underused equipment with other labs

It is worth noting, second-hand equipment is still subject to procurement thresholds and tendering requirements. Speak to the Procurement team for further guidance.

UniGreenScheme is a lab equipment resale service. It collects unwanted lab equipment for free and resells it, splitting the profits of anything it sells with the original owner. This makes it a great option for purchasing second-hand equipment sustainably at a reduced cost while preventing unnecessary waste and reducing the energy and materials needed to produce new items. They are also a good place to source equipment parts for kit that is no longer serviced or has parts available from your supplier.

Choose longer-lasting equipment

Choose products:

• with longer warranties
• that are easier to service and repair
• have easily available spare parts

You should also consider how often updates will be available and needed for software that runs with your equipment.

Avoid purchasing when possible

Use shared facilities

• Use the University’s core research facilities
• Check the equipment database to access over 1,700 pieces of equipment across the GW4 research community
• Ask your research funder about facilities and resources you can use

Use your existing equipment

Where possible, you should only upgrade equipment where the environmental benefits outweigh the environmental impact of producing and buying new equipment.

Consumables

Laboratory research uses many consumables. These items are often single-use plastics such as nitrile gloves, pipette tips, weighing boats, and petri dishes.

You can reduce the need to purchase new items, for example, by replacing single-use plastics with reusable alternatives. This should be the first priority in labs. View guidance on how you can reduce your use of consumables.

When you have to purchase new items, there are many ways you can reduce the environmental impact of what you buy.

Choose suppliers who prioritise sustainability

• Source products from suppliers who provide accurate sustainability reporting of their operations
• Check whether the products have sustainability certificates attached to their webpages – some lab suppliers will even have a sustainability icon that identifies products with sustainable features but we recommend checking the validity of their claims where possible
• Check the eco-credentials of consumables you’re purchasing on the ACT database

Request sustainable packaging options

You might be able to request minimal, recyclable packaging, ideally using single-material wrapping. For example, you can request for items to be bulk packaged rather than individually wrapped in plastic.

Use supplier take-back, refill, and recycling schemes

Some suppliers (including VWR, Promega, NEB, Fisher Scientific) will take back and recycle packaging, or you may find other uses for packaging rather than throwing items away.

Some suppliers will recycle old equipment, such as computers. Before purchasing any new equipment, ask about end-of-life options as it can be very difficult for the University to dispose of lab equipment.

Make use of refill schemes. For example, buy pipette tip refills rather than new boxes.

Collect used Winchester bottles for suppliers to collect and reuse.

Order in bulk

Buying in bulk can reduce the environmental costs associated with packaging and transport, provided you will use all the products before their expiry dates. This is particularly true if multiple labs order together.

Unless you need supplies urgently, consider consolidating orders to reduce the number of deliveries coming to campus.

Choose reusable alternatives

Switch to reusable alternatives (like glassware) instead of single-use plastics. Reusable items last much longer, making them an economically viable option even if they cost more at first.

See how you can reduce the number of single-use items you need.

Chemicals and reagents

Prioritise using existing supplies

Before ordering new chemicals or reagents:

• ask colleagues if they have what you need - there may be excess available that would otherwise be wasted if it exceeds the expiry date
• check the University’s ChemInventory system for available or spare supplies - if your lab isn't already registered, speak to your technical team

Source sustainably

Check the ACT label database for the eco-credentials of chemicals and reagents you consider buying.