Purdue Green Labs Program
The purpose of the Purdue Green Labs Program is to promote sustainable practices within labs and grow the campus sustainability culture while promoting scientific advancement. The Green Labs team works with researchers, lab managers, staff, faculty and students to implement sustainable practices and technologies in their labs without compromising the integrity of their work.
The Purdue Green Labs Program was developed in 2024 through the collaboration of the Sustainability, Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) and Energy and Utility (E&U) departments in Administrative Operations (AO).
Program Objectives
Lab spaces are some of the most resource-intensive facilities on university campuses. In fact, labs can consume up to 10 times more energy than similar sized commercial buildings [2]. Lab practices also generate large amounts of chemical, physical and hazardous waste. Lab personnel play an essential role in reducing the university’s environmental footprint. To address the intensive nature of labs, the Purdue Green Labs Program was created with the following objectives:
- Provide a process to educate, encourage and equip lab personnel with the resources they need to implement sustainable lab operations
- Contribute towards a campus-wide culture shift by growing the sustainability culture in labs
- Promote a safe, healthy and engaging environment for labs to collaborate and innovate
- Recognize and celebrate lab personnel for championing sustainability best practices
- Understand and solve barriers to incorporating sustainable lab practices
Lab Benefits
Participating labs receive assistance with implementing sustainable practices which can lead to the following benefits:
- Protect lab equipment from unnecessary stress and extend the life of vital machinery
- Use less water, energy and generate less waste without any loss of productivity [3][4][5]
- Reduce lab spending through the efficient use of resources [1]
- Protect the health of lab members and the environment [6][7][8]
- Join a collaborative and innovative community of sustainable labs
- Open your lab to more grant opportunities, such as the funding agencies below:
- Royal Society of Chemistry – Sustainable Laboratories Grant
- American Chemistry Society – Sustainable Futures Initiative Grant Program
- I2SL – BETR Grants and Sustainable Laboratories Awards Program
- EMBO – Lab Sustainability Award
Certified labs will receive recognition and certification materials, including a framed certificate, marketing materials and a graphic that can be used on websites and email signatures. Certified labs will become part of a community of sustainable leaders across Purdue.
Certification Process
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Baseline Assessment: During the introduction meeting a Green Labs team member will tour the lab and conduct a comprehensive baseline assessment of your lab’s current practices and discuss recommended sustainability practices that can be implemented. During this assessment, a timeframe for the certification process will be discussed and agreed upon.
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Implement Sustainable Practices: The lab implements the changes they wish to see in their labs with the support of the Green Labs team. During this phase, the Green Labs team will also deliver some resources necessary for the lab’s success in the certification process.
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Certification Assessment: When ready, a Green Labs team member will tour the lab and conduct a comprehensive certification assessment of the sustainable practices incorporated by the lab and discuss additional recommended sustainability practices. Following the results of the assessment, successful labs will be awarded a certification level. In recognition of their efforts, successful labs will receive incentives and certificates.
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Re-Certification: Green Labs is a continuous improvement process. Labs can make continual changes and choose to be re-certified to achieve new certification levels. At minimum, labs must re-certify within 3-years to maintain their certified status.
Green Labs Forms and Resources
- Lab Interest Form
- This form is the beginning of the journey. These questions will provide basic information about your lab for use by the Purdue Green Labs Program staff.
- Lab Pre-Assessment Form
- This form is used to perform a comprehensive baseline assessment of the current lab practices, equipment, resources use and identify areas for improvement.
- Lab Resources and Tips Document
- This document contains resources and tips to help labs adopt and improve their sustainability practices.
- Lab Certification Form
- This form is used by the Green Labs team to score the labs certification level. Labs can use this as a guide when preparing for certification.
- Incentive Program Form
- Once certified, labs can use this form to apply for the incentive program.
Contact
Reach out to the Green Labs team at ehps@purdue.edu.
Sources
[1] Bistulfi, Gaia. “Reduce, Reuse and Recycle Lab Waste.” Nature News, Nature Publishing Group, 9 Oct. 2013, www.nature.com/articles/502170a.
[2] Environmental Protection Agency, and U.S. Department of Energy. Laboratories for the 21st Century; Energy Recovery in Laboratory Facilities, June 2012, www.nrel.gov/docs/fy12osti/53815.pdf.
[3] Harvard University. “Validating Cost and Energy Savings from Harvard’s Shut the Sash Program.” Harvard Office for Sustainability, sustainable.harvard.edu/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/FumeHoodWhitePaper-1.pdf.
[4] International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories. “Best Practices Guide; Decarbonizing Laboratories: A Primer.” I2SL SmartLabs Toolkit, I2SL, Dec. 2022, https://www.i2sl.org/_files/ugd/59662e_37865ddb2370407bbece796765560099.pdf.
[5] International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories. “Best Practices Guide; Water Efficiency in Laboratories.” I2SL SmartLabs Toolkit, I2SL, May 2022, www.i2sl.org/_files/ugd/59662e_464c82ed60d94cca9003e531101f08af.pdf.
[6] Lopez, Joseph B, et al. “Reducing the Environmental Impact of Clinical Laboratories.” The Clinical Biochemist. Reviews, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Feb. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5548370/.
[7] Nascimento, Elizabeth de Souza, and Alfredo Tenuta Filho. “Chemical Waste Risk Reduction and Environmental Impact Generated by Laboratory Activities in Research and Teaching Institutions.” Brazilian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Universidade de São Paulo, Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas, 1 June 2010, www.scielo.br/j/bjps/a/VWg4JQyVX7rdL7XdNbPBqXP/.
[8] University of Exeter. “Scientists Call for Reduction in Plastic Lab Waste.” ScienceDaily, ScienceDaily, 23 Dec. 2015, www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/12/151223221353.htm#google_vignette.
