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Do Your Part

Get some tips on what you can do in your daily lab life to help save the planet.

In the lab

  • turn off your monitors and/or computer when you leave

  • turn off any equipment after use

  • use Ecosia as your search engine- plant trees while you search the web!

  • unplug your laptop charger when not being used to charge

  • turn off the lights and projector in the meeting rooms when you leave

  • separate your trash properly

  • whenever you can re-use your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and if possible, place it in the recycling box afterwards

  • think twice before printing

  • print with toner saver on when possible

  • use scrap paper to take notes

  • use the stairs instead of the elevator

  • when ordering lab supplies, try to maximize the number of items from the same supplier that you order simultaneously: you will save on packaging, shipping costs, etc.

  • use a plain black wallpaper as desktop wallpaper; reduce the brightness of your screen and set your system to sleep after ~10 mins

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At lunch

  • make use of the free glasses and water dispenser instead of taking a plastic water bottle

  • if you often struggle to finish your meal, bring tupperware for leftovers to minimise food waste

  • bring your own placemat instead of wasting paper towels

  • bring your own mug / espresso cup to the coffee machine

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In general

  • consider walking/cycling/public transport to get to work

  • take the stairs and enjoy Ben's artwork

  • when drying your hands in the bathroom, use the electric hand dryer / minimize the number of paper towels

  • avoid wasting food when you go away on vacation or to a conference by leaving it at CCU and let others know about it, or use food waste reducing apps - e.g. Olio, Too Good to Go, GoodAfter

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At home

  • close the tap while washing your hands for 20sec or brushing your teeth: washing hands typically uses 25 litres (12 times per day) and brushing teeth 5.6 litres (twice per day)

  • if you’ve taken up growing seeds at home, here’s an idea to make self-watering seed starter pots reusing plastic bottles, or make organic planting pots with paper/toilet paper carton rolls

  • collect shower water in a bucket while heating up and showering, use it to water plants etc: showers are typically the 3rd largest water use in homes (an average 8 minute shower uses 65 litres)

  • if you’re a wine connoisseur, here are some craft ideas for things to do with the corks 

  • sew your own reusable mask in 15 minutes

  • reduce the amount of water flushed by placing a volume in the water cistern (e.g. brick, filled water bottle): this can reduce water usage per flush by up to 3 litres

  • get your walking shoes on and find the nearest eco-ponto 

  • use reusable bags when you shop

  • swap to toothbrushes made from bamboo: conventional toothbrushes take 400 years to decompose, and make up 1% of all ocean plastic waste

  • consider packaging free cosmetics, such as solid shampoo/conditioner, soap bars and body lotion

  • avoid products made from or packaged in plastic whenever possible (e.g., select unwrapped produce at the grocery store, shop local, cut down on online shopping)

  • save on chemicals and money by making your own green all-purpose cleaning product with simple things you already have in the house: one part white vinegar, one part water, lemon rind, rosemary sprigs (combine ingredients, pour into a spray bottle, let infuse for a week before using)

  • did you break your favourite cup? Do you need a hook to hang your towels? Is your USB-cable about to break? You can fix so many different things using sugru! It’s similar to Play-Doh, but it sets into a flexible rubber. Members of this team have used to fix bikes, watering cans, headphones…

  • make your own bird feeder and bring nature a bit closer to your home!

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