Green Your Lab
Congratulations to Pasquinelli Lab for being the platinum-certified lab on campus!
Certified Bronze – Jin and Chisholm Labs
Certified Bronze – Lange Lab
Certified Gold - Moore Lab
“Green Labs” is the primary term used for programs that help laboratories reduce their footprints without compromising research quality or safety. This team-based approach focuses on minimizing the use of energy, water, and materials while improving efficiency.
UC San Diego’s Green Labs program was formed in 2013 and its efforts engage laboratory faculty, staff and students in performing assessments, reducing waste and improving recycling, replacing inefficient equipment and transitioning to best practices.
The Green Labs team meets monthly and meetings are open to everyone.
When: Second Wednesday at 9 a.m.
Where: BRFII 2A03
Goal
To assist labs in reducing their resource use and improving education and engagement efforts around these themes:
- Electricity
- Lighting
- Cold storage and freezer management
- Fume hoods and ventilation
- Water
- Inventory management
- Recycling
- Waste reduction
- Hazardous waste disposal
- Green chemistry
- Travel
- Field work (leave no trace)
- Community (sharing BP’s; engaged scholarship)
- Purchasing
- Leveraging incentive/rebate programs
- Utility usage reporting (transparency)
- Autoclaves/Glass washing
- Education (integrating Green Lab practices into UCSD classrooms)
Partner: My Green Lab
My Green Lab is fundamentally and permanently improving the sustainability of scientific research. A California 501(c)(3) nonprofit, they were formed to unify and lead scientists, vendors, designers, energy providers, and others in a common drive toward a world in which all research reflects the highest standards of social and environmental responsibility. Run “for scientists, by scientists,” they leverage their credibility and track record to develop standards, oversee their implementation, and inspire the many behavioral changes that are needed throughout the scientific community.
My Green Lab developed the Green Lab Assessment Tool, which is currently used in UC San Diego’s Green Labs Certification Program, in partnership with UC Davis, UCLA, UC Santa Barbara, UC Santa Cruz, and UC San Francisco. This assessment delineates the key components of a safe, sustainable laboratory and encourages implementation of best practices.
UC Connection
All UC campuses have, or are developing, Green Lab Certification programs to incentivize and reward researchers who adopt more sustainable lab practices. Through energy use audits, equipment replacement, and implementation of operational best practices, these certification programs can achieve significant energy savings.
Green Lab Certification
Do you turn off the lights at the end of the day, print double-sided and have your computer set to go to sleep instead of a screen saver? If so, you are already on your way to becoming a certified lab! The assessment survey recognizes the good practices you have in place already and allows us to provide simple suggestions to help your laboratory become a safer, more sustainable workplace.
As a reward for participating in this program, Facilities Management generously provides free LED lighting retrofits to certified labs. This formal certification can also be added to grant applications to leverage your lab's commitment to sustainability. And, we have a number of additional rewards!
Contact us for more information or to get your lab certified today by emailing greenlabs@ucsd.edu.
Team Members
| Member | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|
| Scott Asbach | Assistant Safety Officer | Division of Biological Sciences |
| Jordan Blondelle | Post Doctoral Research Fellow | Medicine |
| Jennifer Bowser | Sustainability Program Coordinator | Sustainability |
| Sam Bunarjo | Student Intern | Sustainability |
| Erika Daley | Outreach Coordinator | My Green Lab |
| Erin Daniels | Lab Manager | Division of Biological Sciences |
| John Dilliott | Associate Director, Energy & Utility Services | Facilities Managment, Energy |
| Debbie Durand | Vivarium Safety Officer | Office of Animal Research |
| Antony Esquer | Senior Buyer | Integrated Procure-to-Pay Solutions |
| Valerie Fanning | Environmental Compliance Officer | Environmental Health & Safety |
| Stephen George | Safety Officer | Chemistry & Biochemistry |
| Robert Hafen | Superintendent | Facilities Managment, Landscaping & Waste |
| Julie Hampel | Environmental Affairs Division Manager | Environmental Health & Safety |
| Gisella Higgins | Director of IPPS Logistics | IPPS Logistics |
| Robbie Jacob | Receiving & Distribution Supervisor | Material Suppport Services |
| Jonathan Joyce | Research Assistance Program Supervisor | Environmental Health & Safety |
| Leanne Kao | Intern | Sustainability |
| Will Landry | Student Intern | Sustainability |
| Laura Layman | Ph.D. Student | Pathology |
| Andrew Le | Regulatory Compliance Analyst | Environmental Health & Safety |
| Anna Levitt | Energy Director | UC San Diego Health, Facilities Engineering |
| Allyson Long | Scripps Safety Coordinator | Environmental Health & Safety |
| Sara McKinstry | Sustainability Manager | Sustainability |
| Scott Miller | Waste Diversion Manager | Facilitiies Management, Waste |
| Daniel Neesen | HazMat Senior Technician | Environmental Health & Safety |
| Brandon Nguyen | Student Intern | Facilities Management, Energy |
| Ian Nicastro | Lab Manager | Division of Biological Sciences |
| Mark Ortiz | Corporate Social Responsibility Manager | Integrated Procure-to-Pay Solutions |
| Allison Paradise | Executive Director Team Leader |
My Green Lab |
| Michelle Perez | Associate Energy Director | Facilities Management |
| Dan Ronquillo | Interim Director | Core Bio Services/Lab Support Services |
| Lance Scott | Research Safety Manager | Environmental Health & Safety |
| Ken Shafer | Principal Facilities Manager | School of Medicine |
| Anthony Singleton | Chief Small Business Officer | Integrated Procure-to-Pay Solutions |
| Jennifer Stowe | Laboratory Manager | Bioengineering |
| Gayle Ta | Assistant Director | Integrated Procure-to-Pay Solutions |
| Brian Wardell | Life Sciences Buyer | Integrated Procure-to-Pay Solutions |
| Dave Weil | Director of Campus Carbon Neutrality Program | Sustainability |
Certified Labs
| Certification Level | Lab |
|---|---|
| Platinum | |
| Gold | |
| Silver | |
| Bronze | |
| Green |
Resources
Laboratory Recycling Signage
- Text and images combined (PDF)
- Text and images separated (PDF)
Recycling Programs for Lab Materials (e.g., pipette tips, containers, etc.):
Lab Products and Equipment
- Green Seal green lab products
- UC San Diego Core Bio Services offers high-quality biotech products and services at competitive prices for the campus research community and the San Diego biotech community.
- UC San Diego Surplus Sales serves as an outlet to reutilize, liquidate, recycle and dispose of excess university property. Campus department buyers and the public are welcome to view surplus property from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. weekdays at the warehouse located at 7835 Trade St. San Diego, CA. 92121 behind Ste. 100 (Northeast corner of the building). Surplus Sales also offers recycling services to campus departments for metal, electronics, CRT LCD monitors and refrigeration equipment.
Other Resources
- 12 Principles of Green Chemistry (PDF)
- Freezer Chill-Up Campaign: -70 is the new -80 Information
More Information
For more information, visit mygreenlab.org. If your lab is interested in participating in the Green Labs program, contact greenlabs@ucsd.edu.
