Live Coverage: Green Histology
After a couple of days in the beautiful pacific northwest, with clear views of the bay and Mount Rainier, what topic could be more appropriate than going green?
Lawrence Patton, HT, a trainer and technical support specialist with Leica, offered practical solutions to greening the histology lab to NSH attendees.
Patton offered a personal perspective on recycling, as someone who is expecting his first child to enter the world any minute now, who is looking at sustainability of natural resources in a whole new way.
In the laboratory, going green means looking into measuring energy used and waste produced; applying environmental resources to minimize waste; looking for green alternatives (e.g., finding an environmentally friendly cleaning solution); and investing in ducation, training and encouragement programs.
Patton encouraged attendees to follow a three-step roadmap to achieve a green laboratory:
- evaluate (assess what you are doing today, research what others are doing);
- plan (make an action plan, involve others from your lab, identify goals and benchmarks); and
- implement (put the plan into action, develop awareness campaigns, provide ongoing education, evaluate benefits).
He used ARUP as a powerful example of a laboratory that has made extensive efforts to green their facility and processes.
ARUP's experience has produced the following advice to keep in mind wherever you are in your journey to a green lab:
- create a philosophy for your laboratory;
- gain leadership support;
- actively and continually educate; and
- start somewhere.
"It's our time in histology to bring sustainability to our laboratories," Patton declared.