Why go green in your laboratory?
It’s great for the environment and it can save money which can be used to further your research.
Chemical Waste Bottle Recycling
Call NIH Chemical Waste Services at 301-496-4710 to request a bin for recycling laboratory reagent bottles.
Chemical Reduction
Have a laboratory clean out of old chemicals.
Coordinate with Chemical Safety before you begin to arrange for pick up of old chemicals
Fume Hoods and Biological Cabinets
Keep air flow vents open and exposed.
Blocking them reduces their ability to clear your work area and uses more energy for them to operate.
MPW Boxes
Put only MPW waste in these boxes.
Each box takes time and energy to set up and costs money for disposal.
By eliminating regular trash from these boxes, you save time and money.
Rechargeable Batteries
This is a great way to always have batteries on hand and save money.
Invest in a one time cost of rechargeable batteries and charging units.
Charge an
initial set of batteries and give them out.
When the batteries die, bring them back to exchange for a fully charged one at the recharging station.
Western Blotting apparatus
Several companies have dry systems for Western Blotting.
These save time in making transfer solutions and the money that is required to buy them.
Several of these are in use in NHGRI.
PCR Machines
Set the hold temperature at the end of the reaction to 10 degrees.
This reduces wear and tear on the machines which can develop frozen heat blocks and saves on energy.
By reducing wear on the machines, one also saves repair costs.
Paper Towel Reduction
Use a chamois to soak up water from freezer clean-outs instead of paper towels. This saves money and storage space in addition to going green.