Green Labs

Great news! Seattle City Light is now going to rebate $600 to labs that purchase Stirling ULT (ultra-low temperature) freezers.

The UW Green Laboratory Certification program recognizes labs that maintain their commitment to Sustainability. We’re happy to highlight the Electron Microprobe Lab at the University of Washington, which has been certified Gold two years running!

From reusing dog blankets to shipping lab waste to a special recycling center, one UW lab is going the extra mile to make sustainability a priority in the workplace.

A team from UW’s Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences (DEOHS) used a Green Seed Fund Grant to increase sustainable practices in the department's 20 labs.

To better assess barriers to sustainability, project facilitators encouraged DEOHS labs to participate in UW’s Green Labs Certification program in the spring of 2014. That year, labs averaged a score of 45 percent on their Green Labs application – while other campus labs who took the application averaged a score of 73 percent.

The Leopold Lab didn't need to implement any new practices or make changes to earn the title of "Greenest Lab" in the College of Arts and Sciences.

"We just did what we normally do," said lab manager Stephanie Zaborac-Reed.

This post was originally published in the UW Green Labs newsletter.

Fieldwork and Work-Related Travel

To “green” your travel, minimize your driving and flying, and consider these travel options to lower your carbon emissions:

During Winter Quarter 2015, many labs achieved Green Laboratory certification by going above and beyond the criteria on the Green Laboratory application. The following are some of the cool innovations being done by these Green Labs:

This post was originally published in the UW Green Labs newsletter.

Reducing your lab's energy use

With regular maintenance, you can significantly increase the efficiency and the lifespan of your lab’s freezer or fridge. In fact, regular maintenance of your ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezer can save your lab up to $280 per year in energy costs.

"In order to divert the majority of people, you have to make it second nature for them." - Cameron McCallum

Lab workers put in long hours in the search for data and answers, so when the Green Laboratory Certification program wanted to reward participants, coffee was a natural choice.

The Green Labs program has been delivering responsibly-grown and locally-roasted coffee from UW Husky Grind to all the labs that participated in the program in 2014 to recognize and thank them for the extra effort they've put into making their labs green.