Last week, over 30 people gathered at Washington University’s Brauer Hall for a program titled Greening Campus Labs. Participants learned about the benefits of campus Green Labs programs and how they can reduce the environmental and health impacts of traditional laboratories. The program was hosted by the St. Louis Regional Higher Education Sustainability Consortium (STL-HESC) and included representatives from several universities and community organizations in the St. Louis area.
The Office of Sustainability’s Phil Valko presented alongside Donna Hall (Environmental Health & Safety) and Ryan Lynch (Facilities). They provided an overview of a 2011 green labs pilot program that took place in Brauer and shared recommendations on waste management and energy reduction in campus laboratories.
Attendees also heard from Kathryn Ramirez from the University of Colorado, Boulder. Kathryn serves as Green Labs Program Manager and has presented at several national and international conferences on the development and implementation of her Green Labs program. After her presentation, STL-HESC facilitators and expo vendors provided additional tools and resources for developing green lab strategies.
The program targeted lab, sustainability, and Environmental Health & Safety staff, but the information is relevant for a broad range of audiences. To view the program presentations and additional resources, click here.