Vanessa's Corner : Current Initiatives and Tips

We are always exploring ways to implement more sustainable practices at the Stratton Lab while also sharing what we learn to bring awareness to the impact our work has on the environment.

 

Here are the ways we are making an impact:

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- We are certifying the Stratton Lab as a McGill Sustainable Workplace, this is an initiative McGill's sustainability office to motivate labs such as ours to follow a list of improvements and change some of the ways we work. I am taking a course to become a Sustainable Workplace Ambassador, to be able to lead our lab to make simple changes to our office space and reach the Bronze Level of sustainability.

 

- In 2024, we will begin the My Green Lab Certification through My Green Lab. My Green Lab  is a non-profit organization that helps labs reduce their environmental impact by focusing on education. As part of the process, I have taken their online course and have become a Green Lab Ambassador. With this accreditation, I will be able to start our certification process. First, with a baseline of our practices and then by following a list of items My Green Lab recommends for improving our lab space and practices for the better.

 

- There is a great online database called ACT - it stands for Accountability, Consistency and Transparency. ACT, is an environmental eco-label applied to consumables, chemicals/reagents, and equipment. This label will make possible for our lab to choose more safe and sustainable products.

 

- The Stratton lab also supports initiatives of the Montreal Neurological Institute's Green Team, a group of researchers that strives to address sustainability issues through projects and outreach programs. Their current initiative include: glove, tip box  and mask recycling as well as spearheading the implementation of the MNI's first general recycling program.

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