The best way to be sustainable is simply not buying new.
Chemical Inventory
Have a chemical inventory for both your lab and your institution. Using a centralized platform allows everyone to see what is on-site (and even at other sites). It reduces the unnecessary buying of chemicals and tracks the expiry dates. We can save money on chemicals and save time not waiting for chemicals to arrive, understanding the quantities of chemicals can be essential for safety reasons.
A popular one for academic institutions is LabCup and Quartzy and for industry is CisPro.
Chemical Donating Programs
UCSB’s LabRATS program is the most famous one.
The Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) department at UCSB has a process in place for collecting and consolidating chemical containers from researchers. A safety officer separates the relatively common and stable chemicals, such as salts, acids, bases, buffers, and solvents, to be given away. Both sealed and opened containers are accepted, although users are advised to expect a slightly lower purity for opened containers. A student employee is responsible for photographing, logging, and uploading each container. When requested, EH&S delivers the containers to researchers while on their regular rounds, and no chemicals are given off campus.
The website development was funded by the Green Initiative Fund (TGIF) at UCSB ($8K for a 1y student assistantship). (Contacts for HTML code: Amorette Getty or Katie Maynard). Approximately 150-200 containers are claimed each year.
Financial savings from lower dispoosal costs that helps cover the cost ongoing.
Here is a list of other Chemical Recycling programs we know of:
Temple has a chemical redistribution program
University of Massachusetts Amherst has a Chemical Reuse and Exchange Program
Ohio State University has a chemical redistribution
Iowa State University has a Chemical Redistribution
University of Hawaii has the UH Swap Meet
University of Michigan has the ChEM Reuse Program,
UC San Diego has a Chemcycle program
Defunct Programs:
University of Wisconsin-Madison , Last update was 2020.
UCLA has a Chemical Redistribution Program, Last update was 2019.
Rutgers has a Chemical Reuse and Redistribution Program
University of Central Florida has the ReChem program
University of Kansas has a Chemical Redistribution Request system
University of Pittsburgh has a Chemical Redistribution Program
Note that some universities allow donations to highschools and colleges, but require the appropriate legal waivers.
Share Equipment
Within your organisation
Have a searchable database of equipment available at your organization. UC Santa Barbara has a very good system.
Systems like Quartzy, or even a Google calendar can let users book equipment. This minimizes downtime of equipment and minimizes having to buy your own. It also allows for potential for shared staffing.
Other platforms:
Open IRIS
National central facilities
The US has a [Materials Research Facilities Network](https://www.mrfn.org/. It is a partnership supported by the National Science Foundation to share facilties and equipment. To date, they have 1229 instruments to be shared. Equipment includes gloveboxes, electron microscopes, dynamic light scattering, NMR, and many many more.
The UK has a similar scheme - The National Equipment Portal
Join a Makerspace
These are spaces where you can buy memberships and use the equipment there.
Examples:
Cambridge Biomakespace
- Green Your Lab was a contributor to their setup. We helped them scavenge for equipment from closing biotech businesses!
Hackuarium (Switzerland - Contact: Rachel Aronoff)
Bio LiloLab (Brazil - Contact: Eduardo Padilha )
Genspace (US - Contact: Beth Tuck)
Open Science Network (Canada - Contact: Scott Pownall)
MboaLab (Cameroon - Contact: Stephane Fadanka )
Share Your Work
Genes and Vectors
Addgene - Plamids and viral vectors from 4,800 labs around the world, ~$70/order
Biobricks
Greegenes
Buy Used/Sell
Reaply
UniGreenScheme - Equipment resale service
LV Scientific Ltd
- Warehouse outside of Reading, UK. Buy/auction used equipment or parts.
- Purchases used equipment from you, or will take under consignment
- 90 Day warranty, 1 year warranty/Service support on HPLCs, centrifuges get fully checked by GTB Castle centrifuge specialists
- Provides collection and delivery
- Also provide lab equipment for film sets
- Our contact there: Rob@LVscientific.com
LabX
Marshall Scientific
Cambridge Scientific
Machinio
American Laboratory Trading
Biosurplus
Richmond Scientific
Science Exchange
EquipNet - free to post, comission taken at sale. They arrange shipping and buyer pays shipping cost.
Also looking for closing science businesses in your area. They often do a sale of all their equipment after closing.
Donate Unused Equipment + Scavenge
Look around and see if other labs could use your old machines, equipment and unused consumables.
You can set up a donation system within your institute: Warp-it
Highschools are often looking for equipment
Phoneix School program
Donate to developing countries
Seeding Labs
If you need new equipment, consider scavenging. As we discussed above, Green Your Lab helped the Cambridge Biomakespace startup by going to closing biotech businesses in the area and collecting equipment that those businesses were unable to sell.
Semiahmoo secondary school partners with local hospital to collect old unneeded equipment.
Post on Craig’s list, Kijiji, Facebook, Gumtree, FreeCycle, etc. We had a story where a construction person took 200 pipette tip boxes from a lab. They’re great for storing small parts.
Books
Donate books to:
READ International
Better World Books
Book Rescuers
Book Harvest
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