Office of Sustainability

Research Labs

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Energy

Labs use TONS of energy:

• Labs use more energy per square foot than any other energy sector except data centers. This is due to their energy-intensive equipment, around-the-clock operations, 100% outside air requirements, and high airflow rates.

• Ultra-low temperature freezers can use as much energy as an average household every day.

• A fume hood uses about 3.5 times as much energy as a house.

How to save energy:

• Close the fume hood when not in use to significantly decrease energy consumption.

• Make sure to turn off lights and small equipment when not in use.

• Consider purchasing an energy efficient Ultra Low Temperature (ULT) freezer.

• Turn off computers at the end of each day.

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Water

Labs use a lot of water:

• It takes 3 gallons of water to make 1 gallon of deionized water

• Autoclaves typically use about 60 gallons of water per cycle.

Decrease water use:

• Use tap water rather than deionized water whenever possible.

• Try to consolidate autoclave loads.

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Waste

Labs generate significant waste:

• Its estimated that each year labs generate enough plastic waste to cover an area 23x the size of Manhattan ankle deep.

How to Reduce Waste:

• Try and follow Green Lab Principles.
• Reduce use of consumable materials.
  • Consider using glassware instead of plastics.
  • Purchase from vendors that have reduced their packaging.

• Reuse equipment whenever possible to reduce waste and save money.

• Recycle non-hazardous lab waste.
  • Recycle all gloves, pipet tip boxes, Styrofoam containers, and cardboard.
  • Ask your EH&S or Facility Management representative about recycling conical tubes, centrifuge and microcentrifuge tubes, pipet tips, reagent and chemical containers, and glass bottles.
  • Maintain proper signage and lab recycling procedures to encourage recycling.

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Chemicals

Many labs use hazardous chemicals:

• Lab chemicals can be difficult to store and dispose.

Reduce hazardous chemical waste:

• Employ the Green Chemistry principles. Green Chemistry is the design of chemical products and processes that reduce or eliminate the use or generation of hazardous substances.

• Use MIT’s Green Chemical Alternatives Wizard to find alternatives to hazardous chemicals and processes.

• Use green cleaning products.

• Try to share and reuse chemicals between multiple labs.

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