Environmental Specifications and Sustainability

Statement of Purpose

These links and documents contain information about best practices for environmental specification for collections spaces and sustainability relevant to natural history collections. It is imperative that within a changing climate, that natural history collections also do their part to set sustainable development goals.

Introduction

• Within the museum collections space, the collections security and preservation are often the main focus of staff and available resources. However, in an ever changing climate it has become apparent that a focus also on the energy expenditure, and material usage by museums warrants a critical look. When appropriate, purchasing and storage decisions should also take into account the energy or waste generation that is accrued. The product, materials or supplies could be better or use less energy, whether they could be reusable instead of disposable, or if they can be made with recycled materials.

Sustainability within the museum setting

• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (United Nations 2015) could serve as such a framework for actions within the museum landscape and there are various suggestions as to how museums can contribute to achieving them (c.f. McGhie 2019; Petti et al. 2020). Lifecycle analysis: uses and applications. The creation of an LCA for individual collections would prove both cumbersome and time consuming. For many products LCA exists and can be used in purchasing decisions. (Petti)

• Life cycle analysis (LCA) is a method of quantifying the environmental impacts associated with a given product. In LCA, researchers create an inventory of resources used and pollutants generated in product production and use. From this an impact assessment estimates the product's ultimate effects on human health, ecosystem function, and natural resource depletion. Standardization of LCA methods has sought to maintain flexibility while ensuring consistency and clarity in reporting (Jason Hill, in Encyclopedia of Biodiversity (Second Edition), 2013).

Sustainable development goals within museums

• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations (United Nations 2015) could serve as such a framework for actions within the museum landscape and there are various suggestions as to how museums can contribute to achieving them.
• Collectively, museums total over 55,000 globally, and their energy consumption could approach that of a small country, and the waste reduction could be just as large if adopted universally (McGhie, 2019).
• Keeping the threshold for change low, is essential in achieving sustainable development goals.

Educators and staff working directly with visitors

Educators who interact directly with visitors act as communication liaison facilitating encounters with cultural heritage. They can create educational experiences which link to sustainable development goals and support research and engagement connecting visitors to real life experiences (McGhie, 2019).

Researchers and Staff

Purchasing decisions should include at least some consideration of the environmental impact whilst keeping the disruption to daily activity low. The key to long-term adoption of new sustainable practices is internal and external communication within museums. This can be achieved with internal reports, or a larger sustainability reporting system at an organization level.

Energy consumption

-Identifying more sustainable products is also possible through environmental product labels like ENERGY STAR® and ACT. ENERGY STAR, an energy-efficiency label created by the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy, highlights equipment that meets certain energy efficiency standards. ENERGY STAR ratings are now available for -80°C and -20°C freezers. Another environmental label called the ACT label, is an econutrition label for laboratory products that allows scientists to compare products based on their environmental impacts related to manufacturing, use, and end-of-life. The ACT label is independently verified and is designed to enable scientists to make more informed purchasing decisions by being able to choose the product that best supports their sustainability goals. (https://www.labmanager.com/business-management/making-sustainable-labs-a-reality-22090)

Waste Reduction

The purchase and disposal of ongoing consumables in a laboratory often create large amounts of waste.

• Individual department EHS point persons should be able to provide guidance on recycling protocols
• Try to use reusable materials (like glass pipettes instead of plastic pipettes) whenever possible.
• Check with product manufacturers to see if they have take back programs for packaging or other materials.
• Check with Styrofoam manufacturers to see if they provide pre-paid shipping labels so that Styrofoam coolers can be returned for recycling
• start a reuse (free) table for gently used items

Collection Materialswhich can possibly be reused

• jars
• loan packing materials ( boxes, absorbent pads, peanuts)
• dry specimen prep boxes
• cryogenic tube holding boxes

Materials discarded following best practice or from DNA contamination

• jar lids
• kim wipes
• petri dishes
• used vials
• vial stoppers
• ethanol

Contributors

Jennifer Winifred Trimble

References

https://green.harvard.edu/sites/green.harvard.edu/files/tool-resource/field_file/harvard_university_lab_sustainability_guide_april_2013.pdf https://www.labmanager.com/business-management/making-sustainable-labs-a-reality-22090 https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/life-cycle-analysis McGhie, H.A. (2019). Museums and the Sustainable Development Goals: a how-to guide for museums, galleries, the cultural sector and their partners. Curating Tomorrow, UK. https://www.sciencedirect.com/referencework/9780123847201/encyclopedia-of-biodiversity Petti, L., Trillo, C., and Makore, B.N., 2020. Cultural heritage and sustainable development targets: a possible harmonisation? Insights from the European Perspective. Sustainability, Vol. 3, No. 12, p. 926.