Handbook of practical advice will help chemistry departments reduce environmental impact, save money

A handbook developed by chemistry leaders at British and Irish universities provides ‘a menu of practical options’ for chemistry departments to reduce their environmental impact. By showcasing a range of real-life examples, it’s hoped that this resource will help departments become both more environmentally sustainable and financially resilient.

In January this year, current or recent members of the Heads of Chemistry UK (HCUK) – a national body that represents the collective leadership of chemistry in higher education across the UK and Ireland – shared their universities’ strategies to limit environmental impact.

The resulting handbook – produced by HCUK members and published by the Royal Society of Chemistry – includes resources to reduce energy and waste, as well as ways to collaborate with other departments or institutes to share equipment and resources. These include, for example, switching off or reducing the flow of fume hoods, recovering helium used in analytical equipment or changing building opening hours.

Many chemistry departments are facing financial difficulties, owing to higher running costs and a reduced number of international students. This has forced some universities to shut or reduce the size of their chemistry departments, creating chemistry ‘cold spots’ throughout the UK.

‘If you’re using less water and less energy, those are obvious cost savings,’ said Jason Love, chair-elect of HCUK and head of chemistry at the University of Edinburgh, UK, in a statement. ‘And if you’re managing chemicals better and sharing them, you’re reducing waste as well as spending.’

Deirdre Black – the RSC’s head of science – notes that chemistry has a ‘critical role to play in a more sustainable future’. ‘Supporting departments to share what works, and to avoid reinventing the wheel, is an important part of that.’

‘A lot of these actions are within the remit of a head of department, but they require the collective to achieve,’ says Martin Farley, associate director of environmental sustainability at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). ‘A head of department will likely have a very strong voice in how the estates team is supporting their department, but it might not be entirely down to them.’ He adds that, for example, installing solar panels or altering light fixtures ‘may be managed at a central university level’.

‘Seeing a resource like this inspires, and that’s a good thing, because it makes you want to think about how these things can be most impactful and better utilised,’ says Farley. ‘I think overall getting these [ideas] down on paper in a single place is really powerful.’

Farley considers how some of these strategies may be applied specifically to a chemistry department. ‘I think sometimes having a piece of experience from somebody who’s implemented them can go a long way,’ he says.

‘[However], seeing a resource like this inspires, and that’s a good thing, because it makes you want to think about how these things can be most impactful and better utilised,’ says Farley. ‘I think overall getting these [ideas] down on paper in a single place is really powerful.’

The Environmental Sustainability: Heads of Chemistry UK Handbook is available on the Royal Society of Chemistry’s website.