Kingston University Awarded RSC Grant to Advance Lab Sustainability

Kingston University has secured a Royal Society of Chemistry grant of nearly £10,000 to spearhead a year-long initiative focused on improving sustainability in chemical laboratory research. The project, led by Dr Gemma Shearman from the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry, involves the development of a web-based app that enables students and researchers to evaluate and enhance the environmental impact of their lab experiments.

The innovative tool allows users to input chemicals, consumables, and equipment used in experiments to generate a downloadable sticker summarising the experiment’s sustainability footprint and suggestions for improvement. It addresses a critical gap in undergraduate training by incorporating environmental considerations alongside existing risk assessments and COSHH protocols.

Dr Shearman, supported by Dr Baljit Thatti and a recent graduate, aims to embed sustainable practices into teaching and research, build a network of academic and industry collaborators, and ultimately share the app globally via an RSC-hosted platform. The initiative reflects Kingston’s ongoing leadership in sustainability and its commitment to transforming laboratory practices.