As a research institution, Johns Hopkins has a significant amount of laboratory space that is critical to the school’s mission but this space also consumes a disproportionate amount of resources. Laboratories and similar research areas consume between 4 to 100 times more energy per square foot than commercial space. The Sustainability Office, working with staff at each of the divisions, is currently analyzing high energy consuming buildings to determine potential energy and water efficiency projects to be implemented - significantly reducing the environmental impact of the University. While equipment, mechanical and building upgrades implemented by Facilities Management staff will move the University towards reductions in resource consumption, there are a number of individual actions you can take in the lab to support this effort.

Recycle
Use less paper
Turn off the lights
Use less water
Use the power management setting on your computer
Close the sash on your fume hood/biological safety cabinet
Become a Green Lab Champion!

Recycle! Everybody’s doing it!

Recycling is so convenient these days everybody’s doing it. All JHU divisions now have recycling programs and accept all standard materials (paper, bottles, cans, etc.). For a listing of acceptable materials for recycling throughout the Johns Hopkins University visit JHU Recycling. However, labs are unique and present other opportunities and challenges for recycling. Because many substances used in labs can be hazardous it is extremely important that you are 100% sure an item is safe for recycling. If you are unsure please check the Recycling in Labs Guidance document.When in doubt throw it out.
 
Note, Health, Safety and Environment Laboratory Waste Policy HSE805 has been revised to allow for the collection of acceptable materials in containers clearly labeled "recycling" within JHU labs that have a recycling program in place.

There are certain materials common to labs that can be recycled. Labs order vast amounts of supplies which are typically delivered in cardboard boxes. Recycling one ton of cardboard saves over nine cubic yards of landfill space, cuts the emissions of sulfur dioxide in half and uses about 25% less energy than making cardboard from virgin pulp [1]. The recycling programs at Johns Hopkins also accept pipette tip boxes.  In general, recycling a ton of plastic saves the energy equivalent of 318 gallons of gasoline [2]. Recycling plastic is also important because it uses 80 percent less energy than manufacturing plastic from virgin materials [3]. In general it is the responsibility of the lab occupants to collect recyclables in the lab and dispose of them in the proper recycling receptacle outside of the lab.

Use less paper

A great deal of paper is wasted everyday by printing needlessly or printing single sided. One way to avoid printing but still save important documents is to create a PDF. Creating a PDF is almost as simple as printing. To create a PDF follow these simple instructions:

1. Go to the File menu and select Print.
2. In the Select Printer box choose Adobe PDF
3. Click Print
4. You will see a Save File as PDF dialogue box.
5. Choose the folder you want to save the file in and give it a file name.
6. Click Save.

When you have to print documents you can save paper by printing double-sided. Assuming 50% of print/copy jobs are more than one page, setting printers and copiers to automatically duplex will reduce printing by 25% and consequently reduce the amount of paper your lab purchases. To set the default on your printer to duplex follow these instructions: (may vary with printer models)

1. Click on the Start menu and select Control Panel.
2. Double click Printers and Faxes.
3. Right click on your printer and select Printing Preferences.
4. Look for the Duplex or Finishing option.
5. Check the Duplex or Print to Both Sides box.
6. If prompted, select Open to Left.
7. Click OK.

And while you’re saving paper, make sure the paper you are using has a lower impact by purchasing paper with post consumer recycled content. Did you know that at Johns Hopkins 30% post consumer recycled content paper (green top) purchased through Office Depot is the same price as non-recycled paper (red top). In fact, from 2007 - 2008, purchases of 30% post consumer content recycled paper increased across Johns Hopkins University by 50%. For every ton of 30% post consumer recycled content paper used instead of paper produced with 100% virgin wood fiber saves [4]:

Wood Use: 7 trees
Total Energy: 5 millions BTU's
Greenhouse Gases: 632 lbs. CO2 equivalent
Wastewater: 2,625 gallons
Solid Waste: 337 lbs.

Waste not, Want not!

Turning off the lights in the lab at the end of the day is one of the easiest ways to go green and save green. If a typical lab has ten fixtures with two 32w bulbs each the amount of energy wasted overnight and on weekends adds up to about $460 a year [5]. Even more staggering is the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that are released to produce that wasted energy. Because coal makes up half of the fuel mix for the electricity produced in this region leaving the lights on in a typical lab contributes over 4,800 lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere. This is equivalent to burning 5 barrels of oil [6]! So be sure to turn off the lights if you are the last one in the lab. You turn them off at home don’t you?

Mind Your Water Use

Fix leaky faucets
Labs use vast amounts of water for so many different applications. Freshwater is a finite resource yet our demand for water continues to grow exponentially as if the supply were endless. Water consumption is of great concern not only because of its limited availability but also because of the substantial amount of energy required to treat, transport, heat and cool it. The US public water systems use enough electricity to power 5 million homes for an entire year [7]. One common source of wasted water is leaky faucets. If you notice a leaky faucet in your lab simply contact Facilities Management to place a service request.

Use less distilled water|
A great deal of distilled water is used directly in experiments or for washing equipment. Because the distillation process involves heating water to its boiling point and then cooling the vapor back to a liquid form it is incredibly water and energy intensive, as well as expensive. When washing equipment use tap water for the initial wash and distilled water for the rinse.

Don’t let the tap run
When filling up or rinsing, be sure to run the tap only when water is needed. The average faucet uses 3 gallons per minute at a cost of $5.35 per 1,000 gallons. One source estimates that letting your faucet run for five minutes uses about as much energy as letting a 60-watt light bulb run for 14 hours [8]. The gallons you save every time you use the tap will add up to significant environmental and cost savings each year.

Turn off water baths/waterless water baths
Only turn on water baths when they are needed or designate someone in your lab to turn on the water bath each morning and turn it off each evening. This will save water because evaporation will be reduced thereby decreasing the amount of replacement water needed.  It will also save energy since energy needed to heat the water will be reduced to just the time the bath is being used. Or consider investing in a waterless water bath. There are various products on the market that utilize beads or other materials to keep samples warm or cold without using any water. These products not only eliminate the need to consume gallons of water but also claim to maintain a more organized and clean sampling environment.

With great power comes great responsibility!

If the Power Management settings for your computer and monitor are not enabled to put them into standby mode after a certain period of inactivity you could be wasting an estimated $107 per workstation every year! [9] The greenhouse gases emitted by not utilizing these settings are equivalent to the emissions from burning 57 gallons of gasoline [10]. Keep in mind, this figure only captures savings from the plug load. Additional savings will be achieved by reducing the heat produced by this equipment and thereby reducing the energy required for air conditioning. If you are currently using a screensaver, disabling it and enabling the sleep mode will save even more! And don’t forget about the computers that support your instrumentation! Often times these machines are older and less efficient so the wasted energy and greenhouse gas emissions can be significantly higher.

Just shut it! The sash that is.

Chemical fume hoods and biological safety cabinets are essential pieces of safety equipment in labs and typically the most energy intensive. In fact a fume hood consumes 3.5 times the amount of energy consumed by the average house [11] Because the main function of the fume hood is to keep the building occupants safe by removing contaminants that may be released into the air during an experiment it is an energy use that is unavoidable. However, that does not mean this device is an environmental lost cause.  One simple action can make the difference between a wasteful lab and a responsible lab: CLOSE THE SASH!

Fume hoods work by drawing air out of a room through the hood vent, filtering that air and then exhausting it to the outside. Because air is not re-circulated it has to continuously be conditioned requiring large amounts of electricity for cooling and gas for heating. In variable air volume hoods (VAV) the amount of air (measured in cubic feet per minute - cfm) decreases as the fume hood sash is lowered. The sash needs to be open to a certain height while work is being done in the hood but should be closed completely whenever the hood is not being used. A study conducted at the University of California Davis found that as much as 533 cfm of air are wasted when a typical 6 ft. fume hood is left open [12]. This translates to $1,834 a year and 17,000 lbs of CO2! Or more than the annual emissions from the electricity use of one home. Also, be sure to turn the light off when you are done.

Even if you have a constant volume fume hood or a biological safety cabinet that re-circulates the air it is still a good safety practice to close the sash when the hood is not in use. When using a biological safety cabinet turn off the blower and turn on the U.V. light when not in use. Just remember to start the blower 5 minutes before you plan to use it again. This equipment is one of your most important pieces of safety equipment so use it properly.

1. Oro Loma Sanitary District
2.&3. Baltimore County Government 
4. Environmental Defense Fund
5. Office equipment savings
6. Environmental Protection Agency
7.&8. Water Authority of Western Nassau County 
9. Office equipment savings
10. Environmental Protection Agency
11. Mills, E.; Sartor, D. Energy use and savings potential for laboratory fume hoods. Energy 2004, 30, 1859–1864.
12. Pacific Gas and Electric