Sustainability at SLS: A commitment to responsible business

Scientific Laboratory Supplies (SLS) is deeply committed to operating in an environmentally responsible, socially ethical and economically sustainable manner, remaining dedicated to transparency and continuous improvement.

SLS embraces it to signal their commitment to being accountable and proactive in addressing environmental and social challenges. The company’s vision is to become the most sustainable distributor in the laboratory market, acknowledging the complexities and non-linear nature of this journey. SLS is dedicated to reducing emissions across its value chain, being transparent about its impact, and marketing its products responsibly.

Customer engagement is central to SLS's sustainability strategy. The company strives to build long-term relationships by providing an excellent service and aligning with their customers’ sustainability goals. In 2023, SLS offered over 100 hours of dedicated sustainability support and guidance to customers. This approach helps them gather insights into market trends, which in turn influences supplier expectations and encourages research and development.

On the supplier side, SLS has taken a more centralised approach to engagement, focusing on sustainability issues important to the company. By collecting primary data from key suppliers, SLS can benchmark their supply chain's sustainability performance and track progress. They are also exploring software solutions to streamline supply chain sustainability data collection, enabling faster and more comprehensive supplier engagement.

By promoting an open-door policy, SLS encourages staff to engage with the board of directors, fostering social dialogue on topics such as operations, well-being, and business improvement. The company also uses platforms to enhance communication and collaboration, especially amongst remote and hybrid workers, with over 700,000 impressions on the platform in 2023. Additionally, SLS is committed to supporting local communities and encourages employees to take one paid day per year to volunteer.

SLS has set ambitious net-zero goals across its value chain. By 2045, the company aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, with near- and mid-term targets set to reduce Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 20% and 50% by 2023 and 2030, respectively, from a 2020 baseline. SLS also expects that 90% of its top suppliers by spend will have science-aligned carbon reduction plans by 2025.

To acknowledge the laboratory market’s challenges regarding waste, SLS have launched the "Plastic to Purpose" campaign, whereby previously hard-to-recycle lab plastics are recycled into useful products, such as retail baskets and street furniture. SLS offers this service for free to customers on a case-by-case basis.

Sustainability has been a priority in the construction of SLS’s new National Distribution Centre (NDC) which has been built to achieve an ‘Excellent’ BREEAM rating. The facility includes photovoltaic solar panels capable of producing up to 300MWh of energy annually. Additionally, more environmentally preferable transport options are provided, with 12 EV charging points, a bike shelter, and a tram stop with connections to Nottingham just a few minutes away.

The NDC operates entirely on electricity and features rooftop solar panels expected to generate 300MW/h of renewable energy annually. By transitioning to this new site and eliminating the use of gas and much of its reliance on externally provided energy, SLS anticipates a 20% reduction in operational emissions by 2025.

In their warehouse, SLS prioritises the re-use of non-damaged supplier boxes, and collects polystyrene cold storage boxes and ice packs from customers to minimise waste. The company has also replaced plastic packaging with more sustainable alternatives, such as 30% recycled plastic and 100% recycled paper tape. Warehouse employees are trained to pack efficiently, reducing the need for excess packaging materials.

SLS is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workforce, recognising that different perspectives and backgrounds drive innovation and collaboration. Since 2022, the company has made its recruitment process more accessible by using inclusive language and actively participating in recruitment fairs. This has led to improvements in workforce diversity across all areas of the business.

SLS actively aligns its sustainability initiatives with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ensuring that their efforts contribute to a broader global mission of sustainable development. Their initiatives focus on creating social value through volunteering, philanthropic efforts, and employee upskilling. By connecting these activities to SDGs, SLS ensures that its impact extends beyond local efforts to contribute to global sustainability.

Taking pride in offering transparency around the sustainability attributes of their products, and empowering customers to make informed purchasing decisions, is important to SLS. The company collects data from suppliers on 19 different lifecycle criteria, spanning raw materials, manufacturing, usage, packaging, and end-of-life considerations. This data highlights the sustainability features of products and informs customers about where in the product lifecycle these attributes occur. Click here for more information on this initiative.

SLS remains dedicated to advancing its sustainability journey, integrating environmental and social responsibility into its core operations. With a steadfast commitment to transparency, accountability and continuous improvement, SLS is determined to further strengthen its efforts across all sustainability initiatives. You can read the full sustainability reports here.