In response, Georgia Tech launched a My Green Lab initiative in 2024, in partnership with Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) and the Office of Sustainability. Three initial labs—the School of Biological Sciences Instructional Labs, the Molecular Evolution Core Facility, and the Takayama Lab—participated in the certification process. Each lab completed an assessment, implemented resource-saving practices, and worked toward meeting sustainability targets in waste reduction, water conservation, and energy efficiency.
The My Green Lab certification, which is recognized by the United Nations Race to Zero campaign as a key indicator of lab sustainability, encourages research teams to integrate green practices like recycling lab plastics, using timers on energy-intensive equipment, and maintaining efficient cold storage practices. The Takayama Lab, for instance, became the first academic lab at Georgia Tech to receive the certification, with team members adjusting equipment use habits and consolidating supply orders.
Katherine Nguyen of the Takayama Lab, stated:
“Our lab was the first academic lab at Georgia Tech to get certified. Sometimes, graduate students want to be greener, but don’t know how to or feel like we have the power to. Even if labs couldn’t make every single change, any improvement is a positive change.”
Across the country, other universities are also adopting the My Green Lab framework to mitigate the environmental impact of their research programs. The University of Colorado Boulder, Stanford University, and University of California San Diego are among institutions that have earned lab certifications and implemented green programs. For example, UC San Diego piloted a nitrile glove recycling program, diverting thousands of pounds of waste from landfills annually.
Georgia Tech’s Molecular Evolution Core Facility stands out for its Tip-Cycle program, which sterilizes and reuses pipette tips—addressing both plastic waste and supply chain vulnerabilities. The lab also monitors campus wastewater for diseases like COVID-19, requiring the use of thousands of pipettes. “This certification represents the dedication of our entire team to create a more sustainable environment,” said research scientist Shweta Biliya.
Beyond environmental metrics, the initiative fosters a cultural shift in how academic labs view resource use and sustainability. Leadership from EH&S, particularly Lab and Safety Officer Alicia Wood-Jones, has been instrumental. Known for her work on chemical reclamation, Wood-Jones emphasized that small changes can lead to significant outcomes when embedded into the lab’s daily routines.
According to My Green Lab’s 2023 Impact Report, certified labs on average reduce energy consumption by 30%, water use by 50%, and plastic waste by up to 90% through behavior change and simple interventions. These results illustrate the potential for scalable change in research settings—especially as higher education institutions pursue climate goals and reduce scope 3 emissions.
As laboratories in biotech, pharmaceuticals, and federal research facilities examine their own sustainability footprints, the university model offers a proven, replicable framework. My Green Lab’s process is now being adapted across private sector R&D divisions, and the Department of Energy has recently signaled support for similar certification paths in national labs.
For Georgia Tech, and the academic sector more broadly, these initiatives reflect a growing recognition that scientific progress need not come at the expense of environmental stewardship. Rather, the two can—and must—advance together.
