Overall Rating Gold
Overall Score 69.72
Liaison Jim Walker
Submission Date June 6, 2022

STARS v2.2

University of Texas at Austin
IN-19: Green Laboratory Program

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 0.50 Lindsey Yazbek
Green Lab Coordinator
Environmental Health and Safety
"---" 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 Green Labs program, supported by a full-time staff person, serves as a resource to help UT faculty, staff, and students run more environmentally-friendly labs without interfering with the integrity of their research. Our goal is to build a community among labs and to work together towards achieving sustainable goals. These goals include reducing water and energy consumption, recycling and reusing materials, practicing sustainable purchasing, and using less hazardous materials in terms of toxicity and quantity. We ensure researchers are properly educated on these novel ideas guaranteeing the continued success of the program and arming students with the necessary sustainability-focused skills to successfully enter the workforce

With over 1500 research laboratories on campus, Green Labs serves as a resource to help UT faculty, staff, and students run a more eco-friendly lab without interfering with the integrity of research. Our goal is to build a community among labs and to work together towards achieving sustainable goals. This includes using less hazardous materials in terms of toxicity and quantity, using water and energy efficient equipment, recycling and reusing materials, using equipment in energy and water efficient ways, and controlling inventory.


Website URL where information about the green laboratory program is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
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Data source(s) and notes about the submission:

The program has not been accepting new applications for Green Labs certification since March 2020; however, all other aspects of the program continue to serve the campus lab community. It is very much still an active program on campus. The Green Labs coordinator is revamping the certification process in order to make it more equitable for all types of labs. She plans to reintroduce the lab certification process soon.


The program has not been accepting new applications for Green Labs certification since March 2020; however, all other aspects of the program continue to serve the campus lab community. It is very much still an active program on campus. The Green Labs coordinator is revamping the certification process in order to make it more equitable for all types of labs. She plans to reintroduce the lab certification process soon.

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