Abstract:

Aligned to the sustainable development goals (SDGs), the objective of this proposal is to introduce an environmentally sensitive approach by incorporating sustainability concepts into the first-year chemistry laboratory practices of various industrial engineering degrees. Laboratory experiments are the practical component of “Chemical Fundamentals of Engineering”, a 9-ECTS core subject of Electrical Engineering, Automatic and Industrial Electronic Engineering and Mechanical Engineering degrees, offered in the Faculty of Engineering in Bilbao at the University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU. The subject is taught in Spanish, Basque, and English.

It is proposed to apply the basic concepts of eco-design both in the scripts of the laboratory practices prior to the commencement of the practice and in the questions that students must answer in the report to be submitted at the end of it.

Based on the lifecycle proposed in eco-design, the following three phases could be distinguished:
1. Pre-experiment phase: where attention will be paid to the substances used and their safe and efficient use: Laboratory experiments utilize various chemical substances. Before the laboratory session, these substances must be identified. Students must search for safety data sheets to find information about pictograms, hazard statements, precautionary statements, taking into account REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, and Restriction of Chemicals) legislation and CLP (Classification, Labelling, and Packaging) regulation.
2. Experiment execution phase, recovery and recycling: It will be proposed to follow the principles of Green Chemistry by reducing the amounts of reactants to minimize waste production, as well as substituting hazardous reactants with less hazardous ones or with more diluted solutions. Additionally, the neutralization of hazardous products before their disposal will be ensured. Furthermore, when possible the application of circular economy principles will be proposed so that materials can be recovered for later reuse in subsequent practice executions.
3. Experiment termination phase: Attention will be paid to end-of-life considerations. In some experiments, waste products cannot be neutralized or recycled. In these cases, waste identification will be proposed, distinguishing between hazardous and non-hazardous waste. Proper use of the different waste containers available in the laboratory will be taught, including learning to identify the different identification and labelling codes, such as EWC (European Waste Codes).

Keywords:

Chemistry laboratory, sustainability, eco-design, recovery and recycling, Green Chemistry, circular economy, engineering education.