Astex is committed to reducing the environmental impact of its drug discovery research activity.
Improving sustainability in drug discovery research is critical to reducing the pharmaceutical industry’s significant environmental footprint. Astex is prioritising and implementing sustainable practices to reduce its environmental impact, conserve resources, and protect biodiversity. By employing cleaner chemistry, minimising waste, and adopting energy-efficient methods, Astex aims to achieve long-term economic and environmental benefits while continuing to focus on discovering new medicines to treat diseases with high unmet medical need.
Our sustainability team work across departments to improve sustainability practices in our laboratories without compromising safety, quality and standards of work by:
- Identifying and implementing changes in working practices to improve sustainability.
- Increasing awareness and engagement of staff to adopt sustainable practices.
My Green Lab Certification – a Commitment to Sustainable Science
At Astex all of our labs have achieved My Green Lab Certification at green level, the highest possible level of certification, and we are committed to constantly reviewing our policies to ensure we maintain a high standard of sustainable practices.
Implementing Sustainable Practices – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Waste
We are working to reduce our waste by smart purchasing, resource management, implementation of reuse and recycling policies. Examples include:
- Pipette tip washing using an automated washer, allowing their reuse reduces both lab waste and carbon emissions in manufacture and transport of new tips.
- Recycling lab plastics by identifying plastics suitable for decontamination and recycling, reducing our clinical waste.
Water
We are committed to reducing our water usage across labs, with the intention of conserving water where possible across our procedures.
Energy
Within Astex labs we are reducing our energy consumption by actively managing equipment use.
Community
We have set up a cross-company sustainability team who are committed to raising awareness and dedicated to implementing sustainable practises, while building a culture of sustainability within Astex.
About My Green Lab
My Green Lab is a non-profit environmental organisation with a mission to build a global culture of sustainability in science. The organisation is the world leader in developing internationally recognised sustainability standards for laboratories and laboratory products, bringing sustainability to the community responsible for the world’s life-changing medical and technical innovations. Laboratories are one of the most resource-intensive spaces in any industry, but they don’t have to be.
By introducing both a new perspective and proven best practices within a carefully crafted framework, My Green Lab has inspired tens of thousands of scientists to make a positive change in their labs by reducing the environmental impact of their work.
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