San Diego State University
IN-19: Green Laboratory Program

The Green Labs program is being implemented to encourage sustainable practices in on-campus laboratories by creating a certification program. This certification program is a self graded form by each laboratory to assess the lab in 12 categories; community, recycling and waste reduction, resource management, green chemistry and biologics, purchasing, water practices, plug load, fume hood and biosafety cabinet, autoclaves, cold storage, infrastructure energy, and field work. Each topic has yes/no prompts that the lab can answer based on what sustainable practices they participate in.

There are many prompts, but I will go through some of the main points of the prompts. For energy conservation, there are prompts that include practices such as turning equipment off when not in use, sharing equipment that uses a lot of energy, and replacing equipment with energy efficient models. For water conservation, there are 7 prompts concerning water such as installing low flow aerators, turning off faucets, and running glassware washers when full. For chemical use, there are prompts outlining topics such as using alternatives to hazardous materials, managing chemical storage, and sharing common reagents. For material management, the prompts suggest using green purchasing guides, right sizing products, and checking inventory before purchasing.

Once the certification is complete, the Office of Energy and Sustainability will verify the results and provide the lab with a rating (no certification, bronze, silver, gold). The goal of the awards is to create a positive culture around sustainable practices, and to educate labs on simple changes that can make cumulative positive impacts.