| Overall Rating | Silver |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 62.28 |
| Liaison | Ivee Guce |
| Submission Date | Aug. 12, 2024 |
De La Salle Lipa
IN-19: Green Laboratory Program
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.25 / 0.50 |
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 | No |
A brief description of the institution's green laboratory program:
De La Salle Lipa's laboratory, used by the students and faculty in engineering and medical courses, has been practicing sustainable practices to be resource-efficient and reduce chemical waste. Sustainable practices include:
- Turning off all switches and equipment when not in use
- Using battery-operated microscopes
- Regular defrosting of freezers
- Minimizing the batch for sterilization and decontamination using an autoclave machine to conserve water
- Repurpose excess chemicals
- Reuse of bottles/beakers that are still in good condition
1.Energy Conservation and Efficiency
To conserve energy, practices such as turning off switches and equipment when not in use are being implemented. The microscopes are battery-operated and are being charged once the batteries are discharged. Also, the freezers are being defrosted every semester.
2. Water conservation and efficiency
Strategically collect the materials for washing and sterilization to reduce water usage.
3. Chemical Use and Disposal
The institution had integrated the laboratory chemicals management with the General Services Department, specifically the Pollution Control Officer. Once used in laboratory experiments, the chemicals became hazardous waste. These hazardous wastes were placed in the proper containers. The laboratory technicians will then email the General Services Department through the services for documentation of the work order to transport the hazardous wastes to the Hazardous Waste Facility. Once approved by the Pollution Control Officer, the maintenance, equipped with the Hazardous Waste Personal protective equipment (PPE), will then move the hazwaste to the facility.
The collected Hazwastes will then be recorded, and the PCO will contact the third-party HW transporter and haulier. Once the labels are placed in each container, and the payment is settled, the outside transporter will then collect the hazwaste to either treat, store or dispose of the hazwaste.
3. Materials Management
To implement resource efficiency, the laboratory implements repurposing practices of excess chemicals. By repurposing, it extends the life cycle of a product or material, thus it helps in the reduction of waste. The laboratory also practices the reuse of containers and beakers with appropriate handling in a way that will not compromise the experiment.
Website URL where information about the green laboratory program is available:
Optional Fields
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Data was gathered from interviews with the faculty, Pollution Control Officer, and Laboratory assistants.
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.