Green Labs Program
Update: The UC San Diego Green Labs program is currently on pause due to exciting updates to come. To be notified when the new program launches in fall 2024, complete this form.“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.
UC San Diego has certified 108 labs.
ChemCycle: good for your research, your budget and the environment
Environment, Health & Safety operates Chemcycle, UC San Diego's chemical recycling program that allows researchers to obtain free chemicals and donate usable surplus chemicals.
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)
Green Lab Certification
Update: The UC San Diego Green Labs program is currently on pause due to exciting updates to come. To be notified when the new program launches in fall 2024, complete this form.
Certified Labs
Resources
Laboratory Recycling Signs
- Recyclable items (PDF)
- See Chemical Container Management Requirement Guidelines for proper waste item disposal.
Sustainable Practices
Lab Products and Equipment
- ACT Label – green lab products
- Ethidium Bromide Alternatives
- 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. By ordering through Core Bio Services, you will reduce your purchasing environmental footprint.
- 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.
- Corning Packaging Recycling Program – Recycle plastic packaging from Corning’s brands (Corning, Costar, Falcon, and Axygen) for free with three simple steps. Considerations for our campus researchers utilizing this program:
- Label collection container.
- Maintain in orderly fashion.
- Don't collect items in locations where egress is impeded or the item becomes a trip hazard.
- Only submit “clean” items; don’t send anything that is stained.
Other Resources
- 12 Principles of Green Chemistry
- Freezer Chill-Up Campaign: -70 is the new -80 Information
- UC San Diego Printer Refresh Program
- Chemcycle
- UC Office of the President – Policy on Sustainable Practices
- Subscribe to our eblasts
More Information
Contact greenlabs@ucsd.edu.