Minimizing Environmental Impacts in the Laboratory: What Can You Do at MIT?

  1. Recycling
  2. Maximize conventional recycling programs (paper, commingles, electronics, etc.)
  3. Explore potential for lab-ware/supplies recycling: being sensitive to any health and safety concerns
  4. Utilize chemical re-use/recycling
  5. Utilize equipment re-use/recycling
  6. Assign a recycling ambassador to champion efforts
  1. Energy Efficiency and Conservation
  2. Turn lights off when not in use
  3. Enable computer power management software: sleep & hibernate
  4. Don’t use screen savers
  5. Switch to LCD monitors
  6. Switch off all equipment when not needed
  7. Purchase only energy efficient laboratory equipment when possible
  8. Require only Energy Star rated equipment
  9. Turn down thermostat when heating (or up when cooling)
  10. Practice fume hood sash best use practices
  11. Develop a workable fume hood sash management plan including: a) informational placards for hoods; b) awareness and use training. The sash management plan should be incorporated in the Chemical Hygiene Plan for the laboratory.
  12. Determine minimum ventilation requirements in laboratories based on user needs, health/safety protection and energy consumption; and set accordingly
  13. "Right-size" mechanical equipment by improving estimates of heat-gain from laboratory and process equipment
  14. Design labs for energy efficiency/environmental performance: low energy fume hoods, variable air volume, heat recovery systems
  15. Benchmark your energy use with other labs:
  16. Use high performance low-flow fume hoods, when appropriate
  17. Use variable air volume fume hoods (combined with VAV supply and exhaust)
  18. Use energy (latent and sensible) recovery
  19. Eliminate simultaneous heating and cooling
  20. Use evaporative cooling when ambient conditions allow
  21. Deploy occupancy sensors for reducing lighting and ventilation needs
  22. Assess energy conservation potential of your lab
  23. Develop a lab energy conservation project applicable to larger campus implementation
  1. Pollution Prevention (P2):
  2. Substitute process inputs with less polluting alternatives
  3. Modify processes to reduce pollution
  4. Modernize processes
  5. Improve operation and maintenance (O&M)
  6. Recycle waste products
  7. Maintain chemical inventories to reduce over purchasing
  8. Conduct waste stream analyses
  9. Identify P2 opportunities
  10. Develop and implement P2 demonstration projects
  1. Water Conservation
  2. Use closed-loop cooling water for equipment cooling instead of open-loop/once through processes
  3. Use non-potable water sources
  4. Use vacuum pumps instead of aspirator fittings at cold-water faucets. One way to discourage this is to specify the use of non-threaded faucets, unless threaded faucets are required for other laboratory functions
  5. Reduce process water use and process wastewater generation
  1. Environmentally Preferable Materials, Equipment and Supplies
  2. Purchase energy efficient equipment
  3. Purchase recycled paper and office supplies
  4. Purchase recycled or remanufactured toner cartridges, etc.
  5. Purchase equipment with “take-back” programs
  1. Environmental Awareness and Education
  2. Develop lab education and awareness campaigns
  3. Develop local lab facts and best management practices
  4. Develop incentive and award programs to encourage best practices
  5. Incorporate green practices into SOPs and Chemical Hygiene Plans

Questions? Contact Steven Lanou, Deputy Director – Sustainability Program, Environmental Programs Office at ; 617-452-2907

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