Building more sustainable laboratories with My Green Lab

Science is at the heart of everything we do. It also comes with an environmental footprint, from the energy and water used in laboratories to the chemicals, equipment and materials required to advance our work. 

As part of Ipsen’s sustainability strategy, we are taking practical steps to reduce that footprint and preserve vital resources. At our Dublin and Wrexham sites, we are putting this ambition into action through My Green Lab Certification, a globally recognized program designed to help laboratories embed sustainability into their everyday operations. 

A global framework for more sustainable science 

My Green Lab Certification provides laboratories with a structured approach to assess their environmental performance, identify opportunities for improvement, and turn sustainability ambitions into practical action. 

Today, more than 4,000 laboratories and 50,000 scientists across over 50 countries have participated in My Green Lab Certification. The program is endorsed by the UN-backed Race to Zero and recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). 

The certification addresses 14 areas of laboratory sustainability, including energy, water, waste, chemicals and materials, procurement, and employee engagement. Laboratories establish a baseline, implement improvements, and measure their progress before completing the certification assessment, with certification results independently verified. 

Putting the framework into action at Ipsen 

Teams in Dublin and Wrexham are applying the My Green Lab framework across laboratories with different activities and ways of working, creating an opportunity to test approaches, share learnings and identify practical solutions.

The work starts by looking closely at everyday laboratory practices. 

In Dublin’s APID laboratory, for example, an energy audit estimated that the equipment assessed uses approximately 94,220 kWh of electricity each year. The findings helped the team identify concrete opportunities to reduce energy use, from putting a GCMS (used to analyze chemical sample) instrument into sleep mode to powering down equipment when it is not needed. 

Other actions underway include: 

• improving chemical inventory management and sharing chemicals between departments to help prevent unnecessary waste; 

• introducing reusable alternatives to selected single-use laboratory items; 

• installing low-flow aerators to reduce water consumption; 

• consolidating shipments where possible; and 

• introducing Sustainability Champions and dedicated sustainability training to help embed new practices. 

Building a culture of sustainable science 

Making laboratories more sustainable is not only about equipment and resources. It also requires people to look differently at how they work. 

Sustainability Champions and lab leads are helping drive implementation within their teams, while colleagues in Dublin and Wrexham meet regularly to compare progress, share experiences and learn from one another. 

This cross-site collaboration is helping teams explore what works across different laboratory environments while building sustainability into everyday scientific practices. 

Working toward certification 

Dublin and Wrexham will continue implementing improvements as they work toward My Green Lab Certification [confirm target timing] that will provide external recognition of the sustainable practices adopted by the participating laboratories and a framework for continued improvement. My Green Lab certification is valid for two years, reinforcing the importance of continuing to assess, improve and embed sustainable practices over time. 

For Ipsen, the value of this first phase goes beyond certification. By testing, measuring and sharing what works in Dublin and Wrexham, we are building practical experience that can help us advance more sustainable laboratory practices across Ipsen.