University of Colorado Colorado Springs
IN-19: Green Laboratory Program

As part of UCCS’ commitment to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and foster a culture of sustainability on campus, the Office of Sustainability, in conjunction with Environmental Health and Safety manages the Green Labs program to evaluate and promote sustainable behavior and efficiency within campus laboratories. Labs constitute a large portion of the energy used on campus and as such, there are many opportunities to reduce GHG emissions and utility expenses. Furthermore, water conservation, management of chemicals, equipment purchasing, transportation practices, zero waste initiatives and more can all be pursued to achieve a greener campus. During our first year of operation, in 2015, the Green Lab program evaluated over 28 campus laboratory spaces. This preliminary evaluation of our Green Lab program found that University laboratory spaces had a wide diversity of energy and water use. During annual lab inspections we continue to evaluate green laboratory aspects. We have discovered, however, that due to the nature of our research certain traditional areas of high energy and water usage are not present in our laboratories. The program continues to develop to meet the specific needs of our campus laboratory spaces. Initiatives that have been taken include: 1. Applying fumehood stickers educating user on the proper levels for the sashes, 2. Working to increase the temperature for minus 80-degree freezers, 3. Autoclaves for water efficiency - many of our older autoclaves which require larger volumes of use are only used when a primary autoclave has to be taken offline for some reason. 4. Identifying items that can be recycled and increasing the recycling from labs. 5. Ensuring proper chemical use and disposal. A portion of chemical management discusses waste stream management and ways to minimize waste stream contamination thus allowing for more disposal options such as fuel blending, etc. 6. EHS provides training to the lab users and faculty concerning all of the above items. Training is required for any UCCS employee that generates or handles hazardous materials. This training will include information about waste identification, container labeling, and waste storage. This training shall also include emergency procedures, emergency system, and a review of the hazardous materials regulatory requirements set forth by EPA, OSHA and CDPHE. 7. Energy savings by turning unused equipment off or at least putting them in stand-by mode if complete powering down is not viable. https://dess.uccs.edu/ehs/training There is also a green chemistry program on campus that was funded in part by an NSF grant. https://www.uccs.edu/Documents/sustain/GreenChemArticle_final.pdf The CU Purchasing has developed a Sustainable Purchasing process. https://www.cu.edu/psc/procurement/cu-sustainable-purchasing