Cal Poly Humboldt
IN-9: Green Laboratories

Procedures are in place in the College of Natural Resources & Sciences (the primary area of campus that uses science labs) to shut the sash when a fume hood is not in use. Notices are placed on hoods as a reminder to shut off the hoods when not in use. In Chemistry, there is a freezer maintenance program, with annual defrost clean outs. There are no known procedures in place to address water use in the labs. Several years ago, most lab courses began using smaller volumes of chemicals in their coursework in order to minimize waste. These efforts are ongoing, with labs being re-written to minimize use of hazardous chemicals as well as an overall reduction in chemical use. Additionally some lab manuals are now fully electronic, reducing paper waste and costs for students. Whenever possible, the College of Natural Resources & Sciences attempts to purchase lab supplies sustainably. Packaging materials are recycled or reused. Instruments and equipment that are broken beyond repair, and can no longer be salvaged for parts, are recycled. Lab safety training required of lab users seeks to educate users to minimize generation of hazardous materials and to reduce chemical usage. The campus as a whole makes a concerted effort to provide training that discourages the disposal of hazardous reagents down sink drains, especially in laboratories, and to minimize the purchase of excessive harmful chemicals. Users are encouraged to share materials and only order chemicals in the amounts directly needed. Some written materials exist for other practices mentioned above but are not consistently shared/practiced by all departments and entities. The campus hopes to update, consolidate, and disseminate more information in the future.