The Environmental Impact of Curing Cancer – and What We are Doing About It

Every day, researchers at the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute (GCI) push the boundaries of what science can achieve. Researchers sequence genomes, grow cancer cells, test therapies, and innovate; so that we get closer to a cancer-free world. But this vital work comes with an environmental cost that is rarely discussed: laboratories are among the most resource-intensive spaces on the planet.

A recent study estimates that a single researcher working in a cancer research lab can generate up to 15 kilograms of single-use plastic tissue culture waste in a year. Scale that across an entire research institute, and the numbers quickly add up for laboratories around the world.

At the GCI, we believe that the fight against cancer does not have to be detrimental to our planet – we can push the boundaries of knowledge in a more sustainable way.

That belief gave rise to the GCI Green Initiative, a program led by our own trainees, working in close collaboration with other Green Labs Initiatives. Their goal? Reduce the GCI’s environmental footprint by making green practices the norm, not the exception. Progress is already tangible. Across McGill, efforts to expand accepted recyclables now include items like gloves, tip boxes, and pipette tips to be diverted from landfills – as long as they haven’t been in contact with hazardous materials. Small procedural shifts, like turning off non-essential equipment overnight or adjusting ultra-low freezer temperatures, are quietly cutting energy consumption lab by lab.

The GCI Green Initiative, in collaboration with the Goodman Cancer Student Society (GCSS) does not only make the research more sustainable: it works to reduce the environmental impact of life at the GCI. Through events such as a plant giveaway or a clothing swap, trainees, researchers, and staff can enjoy easy and practical access to sustainable practices, while building the GCI community.

This Earth Day, the GCI invites you to see sustainability as an extension of our mission: both curing cancer and caring for our planet are acts of protecting human life.

Learn more about our Green Initiative: https://www.goodmancancer.ca/en/our-green-initiative