As a student and post-doc society, GrasPods is constantly looking for new ideas for sustainability. We work with the BCCA admin and UBC to hopefully incorporate change into our daily practices. Stay tuned on ways that you can get involved!

UBC Sustainability

For more information on UBC's sustainability program, check out www.sustain.ubc.ca

Green Laboratory Alternatives

MIT has a “Green Alternatives Wizard” online, which lists alternatives to hazardous chemicals/processes:
http://web.mit.edu/environment/academic/wizard/greenChemWiz5.html.

PHSA Sustainability Initiatives

We have unearthed a couple of initiatives that PHSA is putting on to promote sustainability.

PHSA Green Commuter Program

The purpose of this program is to promote sustainable forms of transportation and in turn reduce the number of employees driving alone to work. To join the Green Commuters Incentive Program you must commit to commuting to work using sustainable modes of transportation at least four times a week. Sustainable forms of transportation include walking, cycling, taking public transit, carpooling and telecommuting. Once registered, you will be eligible for prize draws and mode-specific incentives and prizes. You will also receive information about events and initiatives relating to transportation and other sustainability initiatives at PHSA. To register, please fill out this form (.doc file) and send it to the email address indicated in the second paragraph of the form.

PHSA Green+ Leaders

If anyone is interested in promoting sustainability in their department, PHSA has started this volunteer program. They provide training and set up several lunches in the year to talk about initiatives. The 2009-2010 program is almost over, but registration is open for 2010-2011. For more information, please visit their website:
http://www.phsa.ca/AboutPHSA/Environmental-Sustainability/Green-Plus-Leaders/default.htm.

Green Laboratory Program Speaker

On February 20, 2007, Natasha Cooper of the Green Laboratory Program at the University of Melbourne visited the BCCRC to tour the laboratory facilities and give advice on environmentally sustainable laboratory practices. The Green Laboratory Program was designed as a means for laboratories to assess and reduce their environmental impact using a checklist of environmental and safety issues. Some of these issues and possible solutions are outlined below.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: Our focus is on making our labs more environmentally sustainable, primarily through reduction of lab ware waste and minimizing the consumption of single-use disposables for non-sterile activities. To this aim, she recommended recycling “clean, non-hazardous plastics and using non-disposable lab-ware wherever possible. In office areas, she suggested copying and printing double sided and switching to high quality recycled paper. Specially designated bins for all recyclable resources, such as plastic, glass and paper, should be available throughout the building for waste disposal.

Chemical management: In this area, Natasha stressed that safety should be used as a foundation for environmental sustainability. Guidelines for proper storage, use and disposal of chemicals were discussed. Solutions should be stored in spill trays and clearly labeled so that they can be properly disposed of. To minimize chemical use, puchase and prepare only the quantity of reagents that is needed. To reduce pollution, use less toxic chemicals and explore "green" chemical alternatives to bleach and ethidium bromide. In place of bleach, Natasha suggested a chlorine alternative with a corresponding neutralizer.

Animal Facility Waste: Natasha spent some time discussing sustainable practices in animal housing facilities. At the University of Melbourne, animal carcasses that are not contaminated with hazardous chemicals are donated to local zoos and pet shops to feed reptiles and other animals. The facility also shreds and reuses paper for animal bedding.

Electronic waste: Disposing of electronic waste in the landfill is harmful to the environment since substances such as arsenic, lead, and mercury can seep out into the ground and water. Thus, obsolete computers and scientific equipment should be collected and sent away for recycling.

Energy Management: The BCCRC was designed with such “green features as motion-activated lighting and low-flush toilets. However, energy consumption can be further reduced by turning off equipment after use and shutting down computers, including screens, at night. To decrease water consumption, avoid leaving water running for long periods of time and minimize the use of water aspirators for suction.

Purchasing Power: Natasha highlighted the importance of being environmentally minded when purchasing products used in the laboratory, considering such issues as product packaging and the supplier’s own environmental practices. It is important to consider if the items being purchased are recyclable, reusable and energy efficient. For other items that are hazardous to health and the environment, such as radioactive material, alternatives should be considered.

Employee compliance: The first step toward achieving an environmentally sustainable workplace, is to ensure that everyone has an awareness of their impact on the environment. New staff and students should receive an orientation to the laboratory outlining safety and environmental issues. We are particularly interested in how to effectively implement our ideas without long-term financial cost or loss of productivity. An ongoing goal is to find ways to encourage environmentally minded behaviours in all research staff.