Overall Rating Gold - expired
Overall Score 65.04
Liaison Richard Manton
Submission Date July 30, 2021

STARS v2.2

Ollscoil na Gaillimhe - University of Galway
IN-19: Green Laboratory Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 0.50 Thomas Adams
Student Researcher
Civil Engineering
"---" indicates that no data was submitted for this field

Does the institution have or participate in a green laboratory program?:
Yes

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:
The Galway Green Labs initiative, saw labs at CÚRAM, the SFI Research Centre for Medical Devices based at NUI Galway being the first in Europe to be awarded Green Lab Certification. The Galway Green Labs initiative, is spearheaded by Dr Una Fitzgerald, a CÚRAM funded Investigator, Director of the Galway Neuroscience Centre at NUI Galway and member of the CUSP team. Together with her ‘green team’ of CÚRAM researchers and staff, and with the support of the University Deputy President and Registrar, Professor Pól Ó Dochartaigh, and the CUSP team, she is working to transform practice across campus to address issues such as plastic waste, energy reduction, recycling, and water usage. The achievement of Green Lab Certification in the CÚRAM Centre at NUI Galway was quickly followed by that of the Lambe Institute at University Hospital Galway (UHG). Certification of all laboratories on campus as ‘green’ by 2025 has since been adopted as a flagship action of NUI Galway’s sustainability strategy.

A video illustrating this program is here: https://vimeo.com/375847945

Website URL where information about the green laboratory program is available:

Optional Fields 

Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Certification was awarded this November by My Green Lab, a non-profit organisation that aims to fundamentally and permanently improve the sustainability of scientific research by unifying and leading scientists, vendors, designers, energy providers, and others in a common drive toward a world in which all research reflects the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility. Run for scientists, by scientists, it leverages its credibility and track record to develop standards, oversee their implementation, and inspire the many behavioural changes that are needed throughout the scientific community. Though My Green Lab focuses solely on laboratory environments, it believes its activities will excite similar changes across other industries, and in the private lives of the millions of people who spend their time in labs.

https://www.mygreenlab.org/green-lab-certification.html

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