Overall Rating Silver
Overall Score 51.76
Liaison Katharine Gross
Submission Date Nov. 16, 2017
Executive Letter Download

STARS v2.1

Lehigh University
IN-9: Green Laboratories

Status Score Responsible Party
Complete 0.50 / 0.50

Does the institution’s green laboratory program address the following?:
Yes or No
Water conservation and efficiency Yes
Chemical use and disposal Yes
Materials management, e.g. green purchasing guidelines and recycling and reuse programs ---
Training for lab users on sustainable practices Yes


Lehigh University's Green Labs Program is a voluntary, self-guided program dedicated to helping research laboratories adopt more sustainable behaviors in areas such as water conservation, waste reduction, energy use, chemicals, and purchasing. The certification process includes specific questions that address day-to-day behaviors in energy, water and conservation efficiency, waste and recycling, purchasing, transportation, meetings, and chemical use.

For example, for energy conservation and efficiency, some of the items of the checklist of actions for the lab include: closing the sashes on fume hoods when not in use, increase temperature of ultra low temperature (ULT) freezer, turning off lights, unplugging equipment and power strips etc.

For example, for water conservation and efficiency, some of the items on the checklist include limiting water flow using water misers or sink aerators, reporting leaks, posting reminders to consider water, and run full loads in the autoclave.

For example, for chemical use and disposal, some of the checklist of actions items include: properly storing, inventorying, and disposing of hazardous substances, reducing or eliminating use of mercury, reading the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry, and carry out glassware wash with minimal solvent use.

For example for training lab users on sustainable practices. The Green Labs Representative (which is often a graduate student) is trained on sustainable practices and then shares those practices with the other lab members at lab team meetings.

By implementing more sustainable practices in these spaces, it will allow labs to reduce their environmental footprint, build a strong community, be responsible stewards of the university’s resources, and contribute to Lehigh’s sustainability goals.

Raise awareness, educate, and provide measureable guidelines for reducing the impact of lab operations
Conserve resources (i.e. water, energy, etc.), reduce environmental impact, and save money
Further integrate sustainability into campus culture
Support the University’s Climate Commitment and Campus Sustainability Plan 2020
Recognize and reward leadership in sustainability
Build community/collegial relationships and empower employees/students through adopting laboratory sustainable best practices
Create a safer work environment


Additional documentation to support the submission:

We started the pilot in fall 2016, with 2 labs.
