Sustainable Labs

Sustainable Labs

Participate in our Shut the Sash campaign, keeping labs safer and saving energy by closing fume hoods when not in use. Learn more, download flyers, and request fume hood stickers on our Shut the Sash page.

Labs at Georgia Tech can lead campus energy and water conservation and waste management. Currently, 57% of our campus energy use on our main Atlanta campus is in lab buildings, yet labs comprise only 12% of the square footage of campus. Small changes in lab spaces can have a huge impact. View information below on changes your lab can make to reduce its consumption and to learn about Georgia Tech’s My Green Lab pilot.

Why Participate in Sustainable Lab Efforts?
  • Save money: A study at University of Virginia found that closing 47 fume hoods in six campus labs when not in use saved $7,600 in energy costs in a single month. [1]
  • Create a safer environment: Closing fume hoods when not in use creates a safer environment for all with less chance of chemical exposure. Similarly, regularly inventorying and safely disposing of old/unused chemicals prevents cluttering that can lead to spills or unintentional use of expired materials.
  • Increase efficiency: Regular audits of chemicals and other lab materials can result in reduced unnecessary purchases and quicker retrieval of required materials.
  • Reduce environmental impact: increasing ultra low-temp freezer temperatures from -70° C rather than 80° C can reduce their energy usage by 30%.
  • New opportunities in funding and grants.
Reducing Lab Energy Use
  • Shut the Sash: Learn more and request stickers at our Shut the Sash page! When not in use, keep fume hoods closed. When utilizing fume hoods, only open the minimal amount needed to complete work. Only use the hood when working with volatile chemicals.
  • Keep ultra-low temp freezers at -70° C rather than -80° C (Note: always check with the lab PI/manager before adjusting equipment)
  • Register for My Green Lab’s International Laboratory Freezer Challenge (free, January-July annually) for tips on freezer cleaning, appropriate temperatures, and more
  • Post reminders to turn off lights when not using a room.
  • Turn off non-critical equipment when not in use or use outlet timers (confirm with lab PI/manager before deciding which equipment can be turned off and when).
  • When purchasing new equipment, look for ENERGY STAR certified equipment.
  • Share freezer space with neighboring labs if possible
Reducing Lab Water Use
Reducing Lab Waste
  • Utilize Georgia Tech’s Sustainable Procurement Guide for tips on sustainable purchase of office supplies, electronics, lab supplies, and cleaning supplies.
  • Visit Georgia Tech’s Zero Waste Resource Hub to learn where to recycle materials
  • Utilize Georgia Tech-founded TipCycle to save money and resources. TipCycle will collect, sanitize, and deliver pipette tips back to you for reuse.
  • Set up double-sided printing as default on all lab printers.
  • Schedule a regular day for purchases to reduce packing waste and transit emissions.
  • Properly dispose of chemicals through Georgia Tech Environmental Health & Safety.
  • Post the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry in the lab.
Engage with Sustainable Labs
  • Attend the annual Sustainability Workshop for Lab Managers on September 25.
  • Share photos of lab environmental efforts using hashtag #greenlabsatGT
  • Develop materials to communicate lab sustainability efforts in department or university newsletters, on social media, and on digital signage.

The My Green Lab Certification program is an internationally recognized best-practice sharing and verification program. It is designed to give laboratories actionable ways to increase environmental performance through a continuous improvement process.

The Georgia Tech Office of Sustainability, with partners in Environmental Health and Safety and Georgia Tech students, faculty, and staff, launched a pilot program in Spring of 2024.

The pilot focused on certification for three labs on campus: the Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience’s Molecular Evolution Core Facility, the Instructional Labs within the School of Biological Sciences, and Dr. Shuichi Takayama’s research lab. As of November 2024, all three labs have been my green lab certified. 

School of Biological Sciences' Instructional Labs

Institute for Bioengineering and Bioscience's Molecular Evolution Core Facility

Takayama Lab

Interested in My Green Labs? Email: sustain@gatech.edu

Special Thanks To

Campus Units and Other Organizations

  • Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences at Georgia Tech (IBB)
    • Molecular Evolution Core Laboratory
  • School of Biological Sciences
  • Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering
  • Georgia Tech Infrastructure and Sustainability
    • Georgia Tech Environmental Health and Safety
    • Georgia Tech Office of Sustainability
  • Green lab programs at University of Georgia, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Villanova University, University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, and California Institute of Technology (some content from above adapted from these programs’ websites).

Individuals

  • Anton Bryksin, Regents’ Researcher, IBB
  • Shweta Biliya, Research Scientist II, IBB
  • Jennifer Chirico, Associate Vice President of Sustainability, Office of Sustainability
  • Adam Fallah, Laboratory Technician, IBB
  • Katherine Nguyen, Graduate Student, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering
  • Alison Onstine, Laboratory Manager I, School of Biological Sciences
  • Steve Place, Campus Sustainability Project Manager, Office of Sustainability
  • Shuichi Takayama, Price Gilbert Chair in Regenerative Engineering and Medicine, Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering
  • Michelle Wong, Senior Director of Business Operations, IBB
  • Steven Woodard, Director of Research Operations, IBB
  • Alicia Wood-Jones, Lab & Chemical Safety Officer, Environmental Health & Safety