Green Labs
Penn has over 676 labs in over 30 buildings and has an expanding lab footprint, including Chemistry, Engineering, and Medicine. Each of these labs present significant opportunities to optimize labs for safety and sustainability. Penn’s Green Labs Program aims to support the lab community to achieve these savings.
Green Labs
Penn has over 676 labs in over 30 buildings and has an expanding lab footprint, including Chemistry, Engineering, and Medicine. Each of these labs present significant opportunities to optimize labs for safety and sustainability. Penn’s Green Labs Program aims to support the lab community to achieve these savings.
At a Glance
The Green Labs Program at Penn aims to improve safety and sustainability through educating and empowering lab staff on best practices in labs.
The Office of Environmental Health and Radiation Safety (EHRS) and the Penn Sustainability Office collaboratively support the Green Labs Program at Penn. The Green Labs Program at Penn is supported by a collaboration between EHRS and Penn Sustainability.
Green Labs Working Group
The Green Labs Working Group represents labs from across Penn. This committee helps run outreach efforts and engage labs in sustainable practices. If you are interested in joining, please contact SUSTAINABILITY@UPENN.EDU.
Green Labs Newsletter
The Green Labs newsletter is sent out once a month with information on sustainable events, Green Labs projects, and ways to get involved. Email sustainability@upenn.edu to be added to the listserv.
Ultra-Low Temperature Freezer Rebate Program
The Ultra-Low Temperature (ULT) Freezer Efficiency Program was established to reduce the number of old and under-utilized freezers and provide an incentive for the purchase of highly efficient ULT freezers. The program includes incentives for both recycling existing freezers and purchasing new freezers.
Penn Freezer Challenge
The Penn Labs Freezer Challenge is designed to promote best practices in cold storage management. The Freezer Challenge covers all forms of cold storage, including refrigerators, freezers, and cold rooms. The challenge officially starts January 1, of each year and wraps up in Mid-April each year.
Lab Supply Exchange Program
In an effort to reduce waste across Penn labs, Green Labs helps facilitate lab supply exchanges.
EHRS Chemical Inventory
Environmental Health and Radiation Safety requires all laboratories with hazardous chemicals to participate in the Chemical Inventory Program. This program allows labs to share chemicals, which minimizes waste and cuts down on costs.
Reusable Sharps Container Program
The Reusable Sharps Container Program is available to all University laboratories for disposing of biohazardous sharps waste. This program eliminates the cost and waste associated with purchasing disposable containers, as well as the labor and energy associated with autoclaving the waste.