Lab Sustainability Workshop

ATU hosted its first EU GREEN Alliance Lab Sustainability Workshop, bringing together 34 lecturers, technicians, researchers, and students from across its nine campuses for a collaborative day focused on advancing sustainable practices in university laboratories. The event was preceded by a survey designed to assess participants’ baseline knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours around lab sustainability, allowing organisers to tailor the workshop to address key areas of interest and opportunity. Held at the ATU Sligo campus, the workshop featured expert-led talks and breakout sessions aimed at sharing practical strategies for building greener labs. Highlights included presentations from Jack O’Grady (My Green Lab®), Brendan Alexander and Úna McCarthy (ATU) on sustainability through a technician’s lens, Jenne Copeland (Greenville) on green procurement, Dr Maria Dermiki on food sustainability challenges, and recent ATU graduate David Burke, who shared his experience embedding sustainability into study and work at AbbVie. Interactive breakout sessions encouraged rich discussion and generated actionable ideas for participants to implement in their own lab environments. The workshop marked a significant step in ATU’s commitment to sustainability, fostering a culture of environmental responsibility and innovation across its academic and research communities. ATU hosted its first EU GREEN Alliance Lab Sustainability Workshop, bringing together 34 lecturers, technicians, researchers, and students from across its nine campuses for a collaborative day focused on advancing sustainable practices in university laboratories. The event was preceded by a survey designed to assess participants’ baseline knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours around lab sustainability, allowing organisers to tailor the workshop to address key areas of interest and opportunity. Held at the ATU Sligo campus, the workshop featured expert-led talks and breakout sessions aimed at sharing practical strategies for building greener labs. Highlights included presentations from Jack O’Grady (My Green Lab®), Brendan Alexander and Úna McCarthy (ATU) on sustainability through a technician’s lens, Jenne Copeland (Greenville) on green procurement, Dr Maria Dermiki on food sustainability challenges, and recent ATU graduate David Burke, who shared his experience embedding sustainability into study and work at AbbVie. Interactive breakout sessions encouraged rich discussion and generated actionable ideas for participants to implement in their own lab environments. The workshop marked a significant step in ATU’s commitment to sustainability, fostering a culture of environmental responsibility and innovation across its academic and research communities. Share on