Santa Clara University
IN-9: Green Laboratories

Santa Clara University recently completed a comprehensive fume hood and exhaust system upgrade using the latest technologies to provide greater system reliability, monitoring capability and high energy efficiency. The old system consisting of constant volume exhaust fans and hoods with pneumatic controls was replaced with variable speed exhaust fans and digital fume hood controls which allows for multiple modes of operation including reducing flows at the hood when they are not in use or the rooms are not occupied. The system allows for programming to be customized for each lab and its unique use which maximizes potential energy savings. SCU has an online bar-coded inventory which allows users to look up if a chemical is already present on campus prior to ordering it new. Faculty are encouraged to check the existing chemical inventory prior to ordering new chemicals. All faculty in laboratories have access to our chemical inventory database. All students working in laboratories as well as faculty and staff in laboratories receive annual training which includes recycling and waste minimization content. SCU now diverts a significant amount of its laboratory waste which previously was incinerated to both fuels blending and waste to energy solutions. Fuels blending waste streams include - aerosols, non-recyclable paints, mixed organic solvents, RCRA regulated lab debris. The most outstanding waste redirection has been to a Waste to Energy program for the non-RCRA regulated lab debris. This material is sorted/checked at the time of packing for transportation/disposal, but the Waste to Energy option is made feasible from a waste collection process/program already executed by the science departments at SCU because of the way we segregate our waste in the labs. Much of this waste is contaminated gloves and PPE, which was previously offered for incineration. It is the single largest waste stream generated by the laboratories at Santa Clara University.