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                                                                                                                                                                                                                       SUBSCRIBE                   PREVIOUS ISSUES​

​​​​Featured Article                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

​​​​New Years GREEN Bingo​​​

Welcome to 2024! The beginning of a new year means new challenges, adventures and achievements. Why not also commit yourself to new environmental sustainability goals as well? We have a fun game, the GREEN Bingo Board, that could keep you motivated throughout the year.

There are several fun challenges on this board to explore throughout 2024, so make sure to keep your board in a handy place on your desk or at home. Reach out to us in November with a picture of your bingo board, and the reader with the most tiles completed will get their own Spotlight article! Good luck!

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The Bingo Board is a tiled, 5x5 table, described as "GREEN," where each tile has an action item for improving and encouraging greening activities, both at work and at home. If you need further clarification on any of the tiles, see below.

ROW G

• The Green Labs Program, hosted annually, will open in late Fall/early Winter 2024. Many of the initiatives you will see during the self-assessment are also on this board!
• Sometimes, you already have what you need! Whether its cold storage or chemical storage, take some time to look through and update your inventory. Ensuring its accuracy will help minimize unnecessary purchasing and waste.
• Many of the challenges on this board would make for great photo opportunities related to the environment or sustainability! If you snap one you like, please send it to virgil.thornton@nih.gov for a chance to have it featured in a future article.
• Reuse does not have to be cut-and-dry. Spice things up by making crafts from items that would otherwise be trash, such as quilts from old cloth, planters from soda jugs or costumes from plastic bags.
• It's likely your IC has a Green Team that meets multiple times to discuss sustainable topics and options. For those without a Green Team, contact green@od.nih.gov to join the Green Team Leads Council or Sustainable Lab Practices Working Group.
  

ROW R

• NIH Free Stuff is a site where NIH employees can exchange unwanted or unnecessary goods and equipment. Before you buy (or discard), try this site.
• The NEMS Training will be updated to incorporate new requirements from EO 14008 & EO 14057 by March of 2024. It is important to take the updated training when it is released.
  
• The Green Labs Fair will be held in early Fall 2024. It features a host of sustainable vendors and organizations interested in the intersection between laboratories and the environment.
• The Division of Logistics Services, Property Management Branch manages excess property through the Property Reutilization and Disposal Section (PRDS) Warehouse. Claim a used item from the warehouse instead of buying a new one!
• Cleaning out your cold storage unit can help with inventory management, and cleaning the dust filter improves the compressor reliability. Both lab equipment and home fridges count for this one!

ROW E₁

• An easy way to contribute to sustainability is to share information with others. Share these articles with a coworker to help them stay informed!
• Composting is a great way to repurpose food scraps and old organic material. See if your local municipality hosts a program or attempt your own at home.
• If you're already subscribed to our newsletter, consider this a freebie! Otherwise, why not sign up now and check off a tile today?
• Transportation is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Participate in Car Free Day and/or Bike to Work Day to offset this.
• Another major source of GHG emissions is electricity consumption. When you need a new appliance, whether at work or home, you can buy an Energy Star-certified appliance to practice energy efficiency.
  

ROW E₂

• Certain NIH campuses offer recycling programs for special materials not often recycled, such as Tyvek or Styrofoam. Check this site to see what unique opportunities are at your campus.
  
• Our Earth Day celebration is one of the biggest events of the year! Make sure to join us in late Spring 2024 for our special festival!
• Foods cultivated in distant places have significant shipping emissions and packaging waste. Buy groceries from a local farmer's market to reduce that travel distance.
• The Chemical Redistribution Program ensures that chemicals end up in the right place. If you have too much or not enough of a certain chemical, check this program first! Claiming a chemical is free!
  
• It's important to unplug and turn off appliances, lights and machines when you leave for the day. Put up stickers, add something to your email signature, or otherwise promote this idea for a whole month!

ROW N

• Fabrics and clothes, especially jeans, can have significant water and environmental costs. Thrifting is a good way to gain new fashion while skipping the price of manufacturing.
• Plants are extremely versatile in their environmental benefits. Depending on what you plant, they can provide home cooling,^1​ sequester carbon dioxide,^2​ improve water quality,^3​ produce food⁴ and much more.⁵
• Single-use plastics present major problems both with pollution and PFAS exposure. Avoid this by using a reusable bag on your next shopping trip.
• Don't let that recycling bin get too full! Set a reminder to help and empty it weekly for two months!
• The Freezer Challenge is a great way to work towards improving your lab freezers' reliability. Sign up now through May in order to participate.

Did you know that Bingo originated from the Italian lottery, II Gioco del Lotto d'Italia?⁶ Complete a tile on the GREEN Bingo Board today by taking the NEMS Training!

​Spotlight                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

NIH Freezer Challenge with Jaroslav Sebek ​​Jaroslav Sebek is the Branch Chief of the Sustainability Branch within the Division of Environmental Protection. For the past five years, he has been leading the charge to market and organize the NIH Freezer Challenge, compiling the data and results to submit to the International Freezer Challenge.​ ​ LEA​RN MORE​​​​

​​Take Action                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

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​A Review of Take Action Articles from 2023​ ​ ​​Last year was an eventful one for sustainable actions. From gardening to biking, the year was filled with opportunities for readers to act more in our planet’s interest. As we begin 2024, let's review the actions taken last year. We hope this will inspire you to Take Action and see results in 2024.​​ ​​LEARN MORE​​​​

NEMS Training                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         
Did you know? ​Bingo originated from the Italian lottery, II Gioco del Lotto d'Italia. Complete a tile on the GREEN Bingo Board today by taking the NEMS Training! The NEMS Training consists of a short (20 minute) NIH environmental awareness training video.