{"id":38192,"date":"2024-10-29T14:13:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-29T21:13:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/?p=38192"},"modified":"2025-08-04T17:09:24","modified_gmt":"2025-08-05T00:09:24","slug":"the-ideal-sustainability-advocate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/the-beaker-blog\/the-ideal-sustainability-advocate\/","title":{"rendered":"The Ideal Sustainability Advocate"},"content":{"rendered":"\n  <sc-container \n    theme=\"white\" \n    wrapper-size=\"sm\"\n      >\n      <sc-rich-text  >\n    <p><em>Written by Emma Wightman, MSc &#8211; Content Specialist &amp; Technical Writer,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.triumvirate.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Triumvirate Environmental<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"paragraph\">In today\u2019s fast-paced world, it may feel like you don\u2019t have a voice when it comes to sustainability initiatives, whether you&#8217;re a manager uncertain about executive buy-in, or a lab assistant unsure how to raise your concerns and ideas to those higher up.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re here to tell you that regardless of who you are\u2014your title, rank, or tenure\u2014you are the ideal candidate to be passionate about and make meaningful changes for operational sustainability. Not only that, but sustainability advocacy is a key leadership opportunity. Those who take on this role will be the ones leading the charge, proving daily their commitment to bettering operations and the environment alike.<\/p>\n<p>Everyone across an organization has the power to be a sustainability leader and make a tangible operational and environmental difference\u2014it takes just one or a few people to step forward in order to make widespread and important environmental improvements. We will break this down by rank and tenure below.<\/p>\n<p><strong><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\">Sustainability Champions in Various Roles<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Novice\/Lab Staff:<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0In your first few years or months at a new position, you may not feel like you can speak up about making widespread changes. Often, people just beginning their careers don\u2019t feel they can mess with \u201cthe way things have always been done.\u201d This is a myth, however\u2014newer staff come to positions with heaps of varied real-world experiences, making them the perfect candidates to help innovate.<\/p>\n<p>Lab staff are the boots-on-the-ground workforce that gets things done\u2014and see what works and what doesn\u2019t on a daily basis. They are the teams that will actually have to implement any proposed changes, and thus should be respected for their willingness to change the game. These team members can, among others:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Perform\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mygreenlab.org\/blog-beaker\/how-to-kickstart-your-waste-reduction-journey\">waste audits<\/a>\u00a0to help identify opportunities for improving\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.triumvirate.com\/services\/waste-management-and-disposal\">waste stream management<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Become a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mygreenlab.org\/ambassador-program.html\">My Green Lab Ambassador<\/a>\u00a0to gain foundational knowledge of lab sustainability<\/li>\n<li>Identify operational gaps<\/li>\n<li>Brainstorm and research sustainability solutions and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.mygreenlab.org\/green-lab-certification.html\">certifications<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Implement decided-upon initiatives<\/li>\n<li>Track metrics<\/li>\n<li>Report on successes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Additionally, for those who want to become lab sustainability experts, the My Green Lab\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mygreenlab.education\/?__hstc=177982330.45d79dd245a2cda887af25ae0d4b5789.1750632738363.1751560038260.1751658051631.13&amp;__hssc=177982330.18.1751658051631&amp;__hsfp=725563102\">Accredited Professional program<\/a>\u00a0offers six modules on Waste, Procurement, Water, Energy, Green Chemistry, and Engagement.<\/p>\n<p>As a newer team member, don\u2019t hesitate to bring data-backed ideas to meetings and open up new conversations.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Mid-tenure\/Frontline Managers:<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0Often, mid-tenure employees can become immersed in the routine demands of daily work life. Be it processes they\u2019ve been doing repeatedly for years or challenges to funding and protocols, it can feel like meaningful change hasn\u2019t happened\u2014so it never will. Folks in this position tend to be powerhouses of collaboration, however; they have seen what has worked and what hasn\u2019t worked for years, but still have the spark and passion for the job they did when they were new.<br \/>\nFrontline and operations managers condense broad executive orders into actionable steps for their teams. Without this vital switchboard, some executive orders would fall flat\u2014or lab staff initiatives might never reach executive ears. These team members are ideal for helping brainstorm new sustainability initiatives, as well as thinking about how logistically they would fit into operations. Mid-tenure employees can also, among others:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Allocate resources and budgets<\/li>\n<li>Manage sustainability program implementation<\/li>\n<li>Establish key performance indicators (KPIs)<\/li>\n<li>Analyze metrics and collected data<\/li>\n<li>Evaluate the practicality of best practices so as not to sacrifice research integrity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These team members can use green procurement guidelines, sustainability partners, and tracking\/reporting\/resource-sharing platforms to accomplish their goals.<\/p>\n<p>As an organization, empower these employees to digest their teams\u2019 struggles and turn them into an actionable plan. As a manager, don\u2019t hesitate to speak up when you have an idea that will make everyone\u2019s lives easier, based on your observations.<\/p>\n<p><strong><u>Late-term\/Executive Team:<\/u><\/strong>\u00a0People who have been around for years have seen it all\u2014successes, failures, and everything in between. People at this stage can be a great sounding board for which sustainability initiatives can be filtered through, making decisions and creating actionable plans to distill to the whole organization.<\/p>\n<p>If this describes you, don\u2019t be afraid to wield your decision-making power over the organization\u2014and leverage your experience with communication and plan implementation to ensure it works for all involved. On top of this, these team members can, among others:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Help establish and approve KPIs<\/li>\n<li>Allocate large-scale budgets<\/li>\n<li>Communicate expected or ongoing changes, company-wide<\/li>\n<li>Brainstorm and research\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.triumvirate.com\/blog\/sustainable-solutions-demand-innovation\">sustainability solutions<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Make decisions using collected data<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Executives and late-term employees can use carbon calculators, green procurement guidelines, and internally collected sustainability program data to reach their goals.<\/p>\n<p>As an organization, be flexible and prepared to pivot as these ideas change and grow.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><strong>Collaboration Is Key<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>The key to all of this is collaboration\u2014it will take people of all tenures and roles to succeed in implementing sustainability initiatives. Sustainability isn\u2019t the responsibility of just one person or department\u2014it\u2019s a collective effort that requires the engagement of every role across an organization. From the enthusiasm of new lab staff to the strategic oversight of executives, everyone has the power to drive meaningful environmental change. By fostering a culture of open communication, innovation, and collaboration, organizations can create a thriving environment where sustainable practices are not just encouraged but actively implemented and celebrated.<\/p>\n<p>No matter your position, tenure, or experience, your voice and actions are valuable. Together, we can build a more sustainable future for laboratories, one initiative at a time. When we unite our expertise, insights, and passion, we not only make our labs greener but also contribute to a larger movement toward global sustainability. So, take the first step\u2014no matter how small\u2014and become a champion for sustainability in your lab today.<br \/>\n\u200b<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"paragraph\"><em>To get started with lab sustainability, visit\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.triumvirate.com\/services\/lab-sustainability\"><em>Triumvirate Environmental\u2019s Lab Sustainability page<\/em><\/a><em>\u00a0to see how this dedicated partner can help you reach your full potential\u2014no matter who you are.<\/em><\/div>\n\n  <\/sc-rich-text>\n      <\/sc-container>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":38194,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"The Ideal Sustainability Advocate","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","footnotes":""},"category":[114],"topics":[109,111],"programs":[101,102],"lab_types":[],"class_list":["post-38192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tips","topics-energy","topics-waste","programs-accredited-professional","programs-ambassador"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38192"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38197,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38192\/revisions\/38197"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38194"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category?post=38192"},{"taxonomy":"topics","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topics?post=38192"},{"taxonomy":"programs","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/programs?post=38192"},{"taxonomy":"lab_types","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mygreenlab.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lab_types?post=38192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}