| Overall Rating | Gold - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 69.28 |
| Liaison | Katie Koscielak |
| Submission Date | April 21, 2017 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Cal Poly Humboldt
IN-9: Green Laboratories
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
0.50 / 0.50 |
Rick
Zechman Assoc Dean CNRS |
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 | No |
| 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 green laboratory program, including the specific initiatives selected above:
Procedures are in place in the College of Natural Resources & Sciences (the primary area of campus that uses science labs) to shut the sash when a fume hood is not in use. Notices are placed on hoods as a reminder to shut off the hoods when not in use. In Chemistry, there is a freezer maintenance program, with annual defrost clean outs.
There are no known procedures in place to address water use in the labs.
Several years ago, most lab courses began using smaller volumes of chemicals in their coursework in order to minimize waste. These efforts are ongoing, with labs being re-written to minimize use of hazardous chemicals as well as an overall reduction in chemical use. Additionally some lab manuals are now fully electronic, reducing paper waste and costs for students.
Whenever possible, the College of Natural Resources & Sciences attempts to purchase lab supplies sustainably. Packaging materials are recycled or reused. Instruments and equipment that are broken beyond repair, and can no longer be salvaged for parts, are recycled.
Lab safety training required of lab users seeks to educate users to minimize generation of hazardous materials and to reduce chemical usage.
The campus as a whole makes a concerted effort to provide training that discourages the disposal of hazardous reagents down sink drains, especially in laboratories, and to minimize the purchase of excessive harmful chemicals. Users are encouraged to share materials and only order chemicals in the amounts directly needed. Some written materials exist for other practices mentioned above but are not consistently shared/practiced by all departments and entities. The campus hopes to update, consolidate, and disseminate more information in the future.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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.