Establish a Sustainable Lab Program & Certification

This initiative proposes to promote resource conservation in on-campus labs by implementing a university-wide Sustainable Lab Program and Certification. The program will emphasize standards, education, and community-building, with a focus on reducing water usage, waste generation, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions. Ultimately, this will improve lab operations by saving resources and increasing research efficiency at a university that prides itself on its cutting-edge research. Actionable items include:

• Implement a Sustainable Lab Program and Certification and/or join the My Green Lab Certification program to establish standards and educate lab users on sustainable practices.
• Engage in energy-efficient practices like participating in the Freezer Challenge and retrofitting research buildings to include energy-saving technologies to reduce energy consumption.
• Explore the use of water-saving technologies and green chemistry alternatives to minimize the environmental impact of lab activities.