Research: Over-50s Slowing Green Transition in Laboratories

Laboratory technicians are growing older and turning grey – but not green. In a study by Starlab International, one in four respondents claimed that technicians’ age is a factor in the sustainability transformation in laboratories. Some 46% of scientists who express this opinion also believe that laboratory technicians over 55 years old are least interested in sustainability, while 24% consider the 46-to-55 age group to be insufficiently invested in sustainability efforts. Younger age groups, by contrast, are considerably greener with a stronger interest in sustainability. These are the findings of the Mood Barometer from Hamburg-based Starlab International GmbH, which surveyed more than 350 scientists and researchers from Germany, the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Austria.

Starlab asked laboratory assistants about the biggest challenges facing the implementation of sustainability in 2024 – and the top three responses paint a clear picture. In total, 62% claim that sustainability activities involve higher initial costs; 59% are often unsure how they can act more sustainably in the laboratory, while 53% state that sustainability takes up time. “The issue of sustainability has certainly arrived in laboratories. However, the transformation could be even more successful if there were fewer preconceptions and more knowledge and open-mindedness,” says Klaus Ambos, President & CEO of Starlab International, in reference to the study’s findings.

Almost half of respondents (44%) believe that many employees are not interested in sustainability and that sustainable actions are not rewarded. Around three in ten have witnessed decision-makers deeming sustainable products too expensive in their day-to-day work. However, fewer than one respondent in ten said that topics such as safety and validity were barriers to adoption. Ambos: “The barometer shows how green and enlightened laboratory technicians already are – and how persistent some concerns and preconceptions remain. On the one hand, there is a need for further information and clarification. On the other hand, the green laboratory practices already widely in place are the best evidence that sustainability is possible and, over the long term, need not be more costly.”

The findings show that 95% of respondents are already reducing waste wherever possible, 92% are actively reducing their energy consumption and 75% are ordering larger container sizes to reduce transport emissions and packaging waste. In addition, more than one in three laboratories (72%) regularly conduct training on environmental issues or order sustainably produced or reusable products.