Aim: The histocompatibility laboratory at VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center is evaluating practical sustainability efforts to reduce waste and lower operational costs while maintaining high clinical performance standards.
Methods: Initial evaluations focused on the following: (1) Energy saving measure: an ultra-low freezer, “Mr. Freeze,” was adjusted from -80°C to -70°C. Temperature stability was confirmed using the MESA cold storage monitoring system. (2) Cost saving measures for pipette tips. Samples of pipette tips, that are ACT® Environmental Impact verified (Figure 2b), were requested from a sustainable vendor for volumes of 10uL, 200uL, and 1000uL, and were assessed using in-house pipettors to ensure quality and compatibility.
Results: Energy saving measure: Temperature trends were monitored over 4 days (Figure 1b). Once freezer reached desired temperature, a sample was stored for 4 days at the desired temperature and tested on a routine antibody panel. Results were consistent with historical data. Cost saving measure: The cost of pipette tips from 2 vendors were compared (Figure 2a). Pricing for Vendor B (new vendor) is lower compared to Vendor A (current known vendor). The biggest cost difference is the bulk order of 10uL pipette tips with a percentage cost difference of 66%.
Conclusion: Environmental sustainability is an important goal for the viability of laboratories. To date, we have shown that small and step wise measures to manage this process can benefit programs and the overall environment. There was no impact on patient testing with the temperature adjustment. According to ThermoFisher Scientific’s data, estimated energy savings may reach up to 30%, or 1,600 kWh and $190–$260 annually per freezer (Figure 1a). Further data collection will focus on actual energy savings for the lab. The pipette tip samples from Vendor B have proven to be a viable option for our needs, is significantly less expensive compared to the current tips (p =0.03) and have not had a negative impact on testing. Future directions include sustainable alternatives for other plastics and pipette tips, recycling and donation programs, and continuing cost analysis. Finally, a staff-led Sustainability Committee was formed to promote collaboration and support a culture of environmental responsibility. Efforts to adopt digital documentation are in progress to support future paper reduction and workflow efficiency.
