Do Your Part
Get some tips on what you can do in your daily lab life to help save the planet.
In the lab
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turn off your monitors and/or computer when you leave
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turn off any equipment after use
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use Ecosia as your search engine- plant trees while you search the web!
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unplug your laptop charger when not being used to charge
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turn off the lights and projector in the meeting rooms when you leave
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separate your trash properly
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whenever you can re-use your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), and if possible, place it in the recycling box afterwards
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think twice before printing
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print with toner saver on when possible
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use scrap paper to take notes
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use the stairs instead of the elevator
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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.
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use a plain black wallpaper as desktop wallpaper; reduce the brightness of your screen and set your system to sleep after ~10 mins
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
In general
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consider walking/cycling/public transport to get to work
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take the stairs and enjoy Ben's artwork
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when drying your hands in the bathroom, use the electric hand dryer / minimize the number of paper towels
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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
At home
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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)
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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
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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)
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if you’re a wine connoisseur, here are some craft ideas for things to do with the corks
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sew your own reusable mask in 15 minutes
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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
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get your walking shoes on and find the nearest eco-ponto
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use reusable bags when you shop
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swap to toothbrushes made from bamboo: conventional toothbrushes take 400 years to decompose, and make up 1% of all ocean plastic waste
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consider packaging free cosmetics, such as solid shampoo/conditioner, soap bars and body lotion
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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)
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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)
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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…
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make your own bird feeder and bring nature a bit closer to your home!