As regulatory bodies and customers alike get on board with the sustainability movement, testing facilities will need to address policies, procedures, and practices to ensure compliance and customer satisfaction. Often times, this transition is seen as burdensome; an additional task dropped onto and already busy work force with what can be extensive financial implications. However, there are many small changes to a company and its culture that can have major implications on the pursuit of sustainability. The following are a few ideas to consider.

Tip #1 – Strategic Planning of Projects and Shipping

In cases where a test lab has multiple projects with the same client, there are opportunities to schedule the testing so that the shipping of materials can be consolidated to reduce the amount of raw materials needed for testing along with reduce the energy costs. Some questions a lab may ask are as follows: Are any of my colleagues working with this client? Can we use the same samples for testing throughout the lab? Can we ship materials together to avoid excess energy expenditures?

These may be small savings, but the client will appreciate an effort to cut their costs and reduce energy consumption.

Check back on Monday 6/17 for Tip #2!