Eco Team
How are you working towards making our research Center more sustainable?
“Unfortunately, research labs do not have the best reputation in aspiring sustainability." Sandrine Da Cruz, Group Leader and Eco Team Representative shares. "Our Center’s Eco Team acts as a sustainability think-tank that explores ideas and initiatives to make our work place more sustainable, and to create awareness on topics including - but not limited to - food, energy, mobility, and waste reduction. Changing mentality and increasing awareness are key towards a more sustainable work environment. This has to go through a bottom-up approach, and that’s where the Eco Team comes in.”
"The Eco Team consists of people throughout each layer of our organization, with representatives from as many of our labs as possible." Wim Annaert, Group Leader and Eco Team Representative explains. "We will also form a point of contact between our Center and policy makers at the university and institutional level, because we definitely are not alone."
Initiatives
The Eco Team is divided into six subcommittees, each of which organize initiatives and awareness campaigns at the Center for Brain & Disease Research surrounding six core themes.
Water
Providing information on when and how to use different taps in the labs.
Energy
Encouraging people to be more aware of energy usage on campus.
Mobility
Collecting commuting data and campaigning for more eco-friendly alternatives.
Waste & Recycling
Monitoring the waste chain in the department, and advocating for more sustainable practices.
Procurement
Promoting short chain economy initiatives, e.g. purchasing seasonal fruit as much as possible through local suppliers.
Health, Safety & Wellbeing
Communicating existing (mental) health initiatives and increasing biodiversity, green areas, and aesthetics on campus.
Environment & Sustainability Resources, Policy & Advice at KU Leuven
Our Eco Team has the support of the sustainability office at KU Leuven to coordinate initiatives. We can learn and benefit of the work done already by the 40 other existing Eco Teams at KU Leuven and the University Hospital UZ Leuven. Together, we can maximize our impact.
Recommended Reading
Curious in knowing more about how to implement sustainable practices in biomedical research? Our Eco Team recommends reading: The Paradox of the Life Sciences: How to Address Climate Change in the Lab as a starting point.