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The Green Labs program was launched several months after the university achieved Gold Level in its Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System.
of green lab program it is Latest advances by the Office of Sustainability as part of International Campaign to reduce waste and energy use in classroom laboratories. At the beginning of the spring semester, he has four biology teaching labs accredited and more labs expected to be accredited.
Melissa Adamson, Climate Action and Circularity Manager at the Office of Sustainability, said: “Lab space is extremely resource intensive in terms of the energy it uses, the water it may use, plastics and other resources. “They often consume .” She says, “So being intentional about how you plan and operate your lab space can help alleviate some of the resource intensity.”
According to Adamson, in order for a lab to be accredited, stakeholders such as professors and students must: interest form and, laboratory checklist, created using common frameworks from other schools and located on the Office of Sustainability website. Once you complete the interest form, a representative from the Office of Sustainability will contact you to review the checklist and help you identify current sustainable practices and future practices or changes.
Practices such as using the lowest grade water possible, turning off laboratory equipment when not in use, and recycling equipment are assigned a point value and can be awarded as Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum. Contribute to the acquisition of certification. Labs can also reapply to increase their certification status.
Mia Day ’24 is a measurement and reporting intern in the sustainability department who has been participating in the Green Labs program for the past year.
“When we were in the early stages of developing the program, we were able to determine what action items could be completed in the various laboratory spaces and what kinds of recommendations needed to be made. “I met with professors to get information about these green lab practices,” Day said.
Jeff Norman, an education research support specialist and adjunct professor in the Department of Biology, was contacted by Mr. T.He was part of the Office of Sustainability for the program last semester and has been assisting professors with their efforts.
To certify Professor Laurie Caslake’s microbiology class, the group discontinued the use of individual flames on propane tanks and reduced the number of gloves, per the form’s suggestions.
As we adapted, we saw a change in our classroom habits.
“The important thing in the micro field is to stop throwing gloves in the trash. This will be a great learning experience for students,” Kaslake said. “We put tape on the front of every bin that says ‘No Gloves,’ but there are still gloves in there.”
The Institute of Chemistry and Engineering is in talks with the Office of Sustainability to begin the certification process. The firm hopes the initiative could expand to include research labs and art studios after about two years in the development phase. By building on the sustainable office programthe school was able to continue promoting sustainable practices.
“We’re trying to improve the education of why we do this program,” Adamson said. “Labs are really resource-intensive places from an energy perspective and from a waste perspective, but how small actions are taken in every lab on campus add up. It could lead to bigger changes overall.”
In the biology department, the Green Labs program has allowed the biology department to pursue projects that would not have been possible otherwise.
“So far, I think it’s achieving its intended purpose,” Norman said of the program.
Norman said he reflected on the increase in sustainable garbage collection efforts within the department as a result of the program. The idea had “always been in the back of his mind,” but it was sparked by Adamson’s vision for the program.
“Anytime you can save energy and materials, that’s a good thing,” Caslake says. “That’s more important to me than putting a sign on the wall saying we accomplished this.”
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