S2Ep4: The Carbon Footprint of Clinical Laboratories

The principal tenet of medicine is to “first, do no harm.” And yet, the U.S. healthcare sector is responsible for 8.5% to 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions. What can we do in the clinical laboratory to deliver care with a smaller carbon footprint? 

On this episode of Inside the Lab, our hosts Dr. Dan Milner and Ms. Kelly Swails are joined by Dr. Ilyssa Gordon, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Pathology and Medical Director for Sustainability at the Cleveland Clinic, Dr. Cassandra Thiel, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Departments of Population Health and Ophthalmology at NYU Langone Health, and Mr. James Connelly, CEO of My Green Lab, to discuss the carbon footprint of laboratories. 

Our panelists describe the healthcare sector’s impact on climate, and share what goes into conducting a life-cycle assessment and what it tells us about the environmental impact of a product or service. They explain how we can leverage the ACT label to promote sustainability in lab product manufacturing and explore how a shift in the supply chain compares to reducing consumption in an individual lab. Listen in for insight on applying the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle to the clinical lab and find out how you can help minimize the carbon footprint of your lab. 

Topics Covered  

· How the healthcare sector is responsible for as much as 10% of carbon emissions
· What inspired a study around the carbon footprint of GI biopsies and the response they’ve gotten to their work
· What goes into performing a life-cycle assessment and what it tells us about the environmental impact of a product or service
· Leveraging the ACT label to choose sustainable products and ultimately influence lab product markets
· Applying the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle to the clinical lab
· Why focusing on a shift in the supply chain makes a bigger impact than reducing consumption in an individual lab

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Connect with Dr. Thiel
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Dr. Thiel at NYU

Connect with Mr. Connelly
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My Green Lab 

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Resources
‘Life Cycle Greenhouse Gas Emissions of Gastrointestinal Biopsies in a Surgical Pathology Laboratory’ in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology
‘A Different Kind of Laboratory Stewardship’ in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology
Inside the Lab in the ASCP Store