| Overall Rating | Gold |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 75.39 |
| Liaison | Stephanie MacPhee |
| Submission Date | Feb. 5, 2025 |
Dalhousie University
IN-19: Green Laboratory Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Stephanie
MacPhee Executive Director Office of Sustainability |
Does the institution have or participate in a green laboratory program?:
Does the institution’s green laboratory program address the following?:
| Yes or No | |
| Energy conservation and efficiency, e.g., fume hood ("shut the sash") and freezer maintenance programs | Yes |
| Water conservation and efficiency | Yes |
| Chemical use and disposal | Yes |
| Materials management, e.g., green purchasing guidelines and recycling and reuse programs | Yes |
| Training for lab users on sustainable practices | Yes |
A brief description of the institution's green laboratory program:
Dalhousie has over 1350 laboratory spaces, serving as a hub for groundbreaking research and innovation. However, labs are four to five times more energy-intensive than classroom spaces, consuming 50% of the University's energy despite occupying just 10% of its total space.
Recognizing the imperative for change to achieve our greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, water usage, and waste reduction targets, Dalhousie is revitalizing our Sustainable Labs Program (formerly Green Labs Program), an initiative aimed at enhancing the sustainability of our laboratory facilities.
Through the Sustainable Labs Program, we aim to:
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Reduce water and energy consumption
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Support life cycle costing and related benefits
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Improve sustainable purchasing decisions
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Reduce waste and improve source separation
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Raise environmental, health impacts, and protection awareness
We frequently host community practice sessions where attendees share green lab ideas, challenges, and opportunities. The community practice sessions will be informal sessions for discussion, with the potential opportunity for formal presentations.
We have created educational resources for lab spaces to encourage sustainable behaviour.
About the Program
By integrating sustainability assessments with existing mandatory lab safety assessments through the Department of Environmental Health and Safety’s OnSite self-assessment tool, we aim to streamline processes and maximize participation across the whole university by 2026.
Key Features
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Automated Communication and Evaluation: Onsite uses an automated system facilitating seamless communication between all Principal Investigators (PIs) and Lab Managers, ensuring efficient progress monitoring and evaluation.
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Simplified Assessments: Straightforward, yes-or-no questions in assessments, supplemented by clear recommendations for improvement where necessary, to enhance accessibility and ease of participation.
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Progressive Audits: Bi-annual assessments, conducted in May and November, enable ongoing monitoring and improvement, fostering a culture of continuous sustainability advancement
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Recognition and Feedback: Participating labs demonstrating exceptional performance or significant opportunities for improvement will undergo targeted audits that will provide tailored feedback and recognition. We will establish a scoring system to distinguish between Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum Levels.
Assessment Categories
The self-assessment tool has 10 categories, listed below, and are assessed based on the type of lab and their activities. For example, only labs with Cold Storage would answer the questions within the applicable section.
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Sustainability Engagement & Communications
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Waste Management & Recycling
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Sustainable Purchasing and Asset Management
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Energy Conservation
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Cold Storage
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Fume Hoods, Biosafety cabinets (BSCs) and Gloveboxes
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Travel and Fieldwork
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Green Chemistry & Biologics
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Water Conservation
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Human and Animal Research
Website URL where information about the green laboratory program is available:
Optional Fields
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.