First Surrey lab achieves bronze LEAF award
The University of Surrey's Innovation for Health lab has achieved a bronze LEAF award. The lab, managed by Stacy Berry and their technical team (Eddie McCarthy, Nitya Sathasivam, Laura Neale, Aminah Olaniyan, Anna Barker and Wadzanai Nyamangodo), are the first in the university to achieve this accolade.
The Laboratory Efficiency Assessment Framework (LEAF) is a sustainable labs accreditation scheme initially set up by 23 different universities across the UK. LEAF provides lab users with a framework to address and improve their sustainability practices.
The initiative launched at the University of Surrey to support labs' sustainable journeys, whilst aiming to tackle their high energy and resource consumption rates.
Berry and their team hope to continue to improve sustainable practices in their lab, working towards achieving a silver and gold LEAF award.
On their experience of LEAF, Berry stated 'the team and I were already trying to improve our sustainability. Whilst we were doing what we felt we could, it was great to join LEAF as it has a brilliant structure to follow... Sustainability is something the whole team supports, and working collaboratively to meet the LEAF criteria has given us a goal that we can aim to achieve together'.
Since the scheme started at the university in November 2023, 11 labs have signed up - with many on their way to achieving bronze.
Find out more about LEAF.