Sustainable Laboratory Recognition Program at the University of Michigan

Sudhakar Reddy, Program Manager, Office of Campus Sustainability

Like most institutions across the nation, labs on our campus consume 5 to 8 more energy when compared with the class room or office environment, largely because of conditioning the lab air for safety, chemical fume hoods, equipment and operations, providing rich opportunities to make them more sustainable. While our Plant Department and Planet Blue Operations team strive to make system wide improvements to save on energy and utilities, special attention is being focused from our office on applying green chemistry principles and waste reduction techniques along with behavioral change practices to achieve short and long term sustainability goals in our laboratories. A unique program has been developed by our office to promote and practice sustainable operations in a more standardized way in the teaching and research labs across the campus. The participating lab is evaluated in the areas of green chemistry, pollution prevention, energy and utilities, green computing, green purchasing, reuse and recycle and treatment and disposal. Recommendations are provided specific to each laboratory following the evaluation. Upon achieving these recommendations the lab will be formally recognized as a UM Sustainable Lab and will be presented with a decal, certificate of recognition and other recognition items. To date, we have evaluated several labs and results are encouraging. Specific examples on product substitution, energy reduction, utilities conservation, recycling and reuse along with the benefits of the program will be presented.

Biography:

Dr. Sudhakar Reddy obtained his Ph. D. from National Chemical Laboratory, India in 1980 in Mass Spectrometry and moved to USA as a NASA post-doctoral fellow. After obtaining several years of experience in academic and private sectors in Analytical Chemistry Dr. Reddy joined the University of Michigan in 1994 and held various positions. Currently, as the Sustainable Labs coordinator he has developed many programs to benefit the the university community among which the Sustainable Lab certification program has received greater attention. Dr. Reddy is serving on many committees including the Green Chemistry Round Table instituted by the Governor of the State of Michigan. He has published 30 research papers and delivered many invited talks on Lab Safety, Green Chemistry and Sustainability at various places in USA and abroad.

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