IPBS is laureate of the CNRS Low Carbon call for projects

Raising awareness, training and promoting the value of committed staff and structures are essential to the success of the CNRS transition plan announced in November 2022. Against this backdrop, the CNRS launched its first call for Low Carbon projects in May 2023, targeting four themes: purchasing, digital, mobility and energy.

Within the laboratory, the sustainable development committee mobilized in collaboration with those of other Toulouse partners (LAAS, CBI, TBI, ICT, CIRIMAT and LCC) to respond to the call for projects.

This collective project “Re-use of single-use plastic” is one of 32 projects selected from 93 proposals submitted, and will receive funding for its implementation. The reuse of small single-use plastic equipment, which is consumed extensively in biology, biochemistry and chemistry laboratories, is a promising way of reducing our carbon footprint and cutting down on the purchase of consumables.

To support a change in practices that has become necessary and even urgent, we propose to determine the conditions for the safe reuse of single-use plastic materials. We will examine the existence of chemical contamination through the release of plastic or additives, or through desorption of a previously adsorbed sample, or bacteriological contamination for typical uses, and depending on the washing method.