Committed to positive environmental outcomes.
A mission of InBio is to create a greener future. Dr. Martin Chapman, President and CEO of InBio, understands that in order to achieve this, sustainable practices and initiatives must be implemented. Dr. Chapman realizes that the investment of time and resources can have exponential benefits for the larger community.
Led by Senior Scientist Kristina Reid Black, InBio is constantly adopting and improving on green practices. Efforts include participating in the Green Lab Summit and implementing InBio Green Benefits, which focuses on sustainability practices outside of the workplace and includes a yearly stipend on sustainable purchases. InBio also works with local companies like the Green Business Alliance and the Community Climate Collaborative who have provided a platform to share our successes and create interest in the community.
Read more about InBio’s sustainability efforts below.
InBio is heavily focused on increasing the sustainability of the laboratory. These efforts include;
Being an active participant with My Green Lab, which is run “for scientists, by scientists”. InBio attends the annual Green Lab Virtual Summit to expand the conversation about lab waste and explore options to reduce our carbon footprint.
Working with Polycarbin to recycle qualifying lab plastics. In a span of three months, InBio diverted 190lbs, circularized 140lbs, and recycled 46lbs of lab plastics!
Participating in USA Scientific’s green initiative with TipOne® pipette tips. This initiative includes pick up and recycling of all TipOne® packaging components at no cost.
Using “Zero Waste” boxes from Terracycle throughout the lab for recycling disposable nitrile gloves. The Zero Waste boxes come with a return label , providing a convenient and easy to implement solution.
Returning all of Corning, Costar®, Falcon and Axygen plastic packing via a prepaid shipping label for recycling at no cost.
In 2015, InBio renovated and relocated to its current headquarters in the historic Silk Mills Building in Charlottesville. The 12,000 square foot office and lab space was outfitted with four new rooftop HVAC units with Intelligent Equipment® to monitor energy consumption. The entire space was designed with high efficiency plumbing and lighting fixtures throughout. In 2018, a 155.25 kWp solar array was installed that produces approximately 44% of energy used by InBio.
InBio has also retrofitted the space to include bike racks and filtered water bottle filler stations for use by InBio employees, Silk Mill tenants and visitors.
A companywide survey showed that 94% of employees found cost a prohibitive factor for making sustainable purchases. InBio was inspired to provide incentive to the InBio community by starting an Employee Sustainable Benefits Program. A 50% reimbursement is available to our employees for all qualifying sustainable purchases.
InBio has been actively participating in the Charlottesville sustainability and green business community since 2013, winning two awards in 2014 (Biggest Loser – waste reduction) and 2019 (Industry Leader – climate leadership) as part of the Better Business Challenge.
InBio hosts an annual “EV Rally” in which EV owners in the greater Charlottesville area exhibit their cars and discuss with community members the many advantages of driving an EV. This provides a great opportunity for those who are curious about making the switch!
InBio’s goal is to make sustainability larger than just our company and local community. By participating in the My Green Lab Ambassador Program, InBio plans to connect with a greater network of scientists prioritizing sustainable lab practices.
To chip away at offsetting our energy consumption, InBio will be installing EV chargers to support employees who currently drive EVs and inspire those who are questioning the decision to get an EV. We will be converting the ballast lighting throughout our lab to LED.
In addition, InBio will participate in My Green Lab’s International Freezer Challenge to increase energy efficient use of cold storage (refrigerators, freezers and cold rooms), which are one of the largest energy consumption areas in the lab.
Financial Conflict of Interest Policy
InBio has developed a Financial Conflict of Interest Policy (FCOI) in accordance with Federal and NIH requirements for Public Health Service funded research (42 CFR Part 50 Subpart F). This policy promotes objectivity in research and includes requirements for training of investigators, monitoring FCOI, reporting to NIH and ensuring compliance. If you have any questions about this policy, please contact Dr. Anna Pomés.
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