The Clinical Laboratory of the Parc Taulí Hospital in Sabadell has launched an ambitious project to become the first clinical laboratory in Spain to achieve the prestigious international My Green Lab certification. This distinction validates sustainable practices within laboratory environments, a hospital space known for its high energy consumption and waste generation.

Data provided by the center reveal the environmental impact of clinical laboratories: a single lab can consume the equivalent energy of 30 households annually, generate 36 tons of solid waste, and emit approximately 100 tons of CO₂ each year. Until now, the My Green Lab certification had been primarily awarded to research or pharmaceutical industry laboratories, making Parc Taulí's endeavor a potential precedent at the hospital level in Spain.

To achieve this goal, the center has implemented various measures. Notably, an estimated reduction of 60,000 liters in annual water consumption has been achieved. Furthermore, 35 computers have been turned off outside of working hours, and the temperature of freezers has been raised from -80 °C to -70 °C, a practice that contributes to reducing electricity consumption.

The project also addresses waste management, the minimization of polluting materials, and the review of logistics and purchasing processes. Parc Taulí had already taken initiatives before seeking certification, such as digitizing processes to reduce printed paper use by 35% and replacing polystyrene with reusable materials, achieving a 71% decrease.

Currently, the laboratory already meets nearly half of the My Green Lab requirements, with the objective of achieving at least the Gold category. The Director of the Clinical Laboratory, Luz Muñoz, emphasizes that these measures not only benefit the environment and social well-being but also optimize the laboratory's energy, economic, and production consumption, improving equipment stability.