Inside the Green Lab: How Scientists Are Cutting Carbon Without Compromising Discovery

About this episode

The episode discusses how laboratories can reduce carbon emissions while maintaining research quality, featuring insights from Raj Patey of My Green Lab.

Laboratories are the engines of scientific discovery, but they’re also a very resource-intensive workplace. In fact, the average lab produces around 20 tons of carbon emissions every year. Yet the same scientists driving innovation also hold the keys to making their work more sustainable. In this episode of Balancing the Future , Micah and Chai speak with Raj Patey, Business Development Director at My Green Lab, an organization on a mission to turn laboratories worldwide into environmental leaders. Together, they unpack the hidden environmental cost of modern science and explore how labs across academia, pharma, and healthcare are working to reduce their footprint without compromising research quality or safety. The conversation dives into the three pillars of lab sustainability: energy, water, and waste, and reveals the surprising scale of lab-related emissions. Small tweaks, such as raising freezer temperatures from –80°C to –70°C (-159°F), can save the equivalent energy of an entire household. From major case studies like GSK’s pilot program saving 150 tons of CO₂ and $226,000 annually, to university initiatives achieving full sustainability accreditation, this episode…

People in this episode

Hosts: Micah, Chai

Guest: Raj Patey

Topics covered

• lab sustainability
• carbon emissions
• scientific discovery
• environmental impact
• energy efficiency
• water conservation
• waste reduction

Keywords

• carbon emissions
• sustainability
• laboratories
• scientific research
• energy savings
• environmental leadership
• My Green Lab

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: My Green Lab, GSK

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