Green Labs

The Office of Climate & Sustainability offers 15 – 60 minute trainings on a range of green labs practices including:   

• Social and environmental impacts of research (NIH Responsible Conduct in Research topic) 
• Role of scientists as responsible members of society (NIH Responsible Conduct in Research topic) 
• Skills and professional development relating to green labs best practices 

So far, dozens of programs and departments have received training from the Office of Climate & Sustainability.  If you are interested in a green labs training for your program, department, or individual lab, please contact [email protected]. 

Facilitated by My Green Lab, the Green Lab Ambassador training is a short, online learning tool designed  to educate scientists and laboratory professionals on sustainable laboratory practices. Globally, thousands of individuals in academic, government, and private-sector labs have become My Green Lab Ambassadors.  

The 70-minute training consists of 4 modules that follow a single lab’s journey towards a sustainable laboratory environment through actionable steps in each of the following topical areas: 

• Energy 
• Waste 
• Water 
• Green Chemistry & Community

If you are a JHU affiliate, you can access the training through your myLearning Portal or by searching “Become a Green Lab Ambassador Training Bundle” in the myLearning course catalog. Follow the instructions on the Bundle homepage to complete the training, and ensure you upload the certificate of completion from My Green Lab once received. If you have any difficulties, email [email protected]. 

For those interested in learning beyond a single course, My Green Lab offers an Accredited Professional course on lab sustainability. Reach out to [email protected] to learn about fee reductions for JHU affiliates.

For a quick introduction to green labs best practices, review our Green Labs Best Practices Guide which covers topics including:

• Equipment plug loads
• Large equipment (fume hoods, biosafety cabinets, ultra-low temperature freezers)
• Green Chemistry
• Waste Reduction
• Infrastructure

JHU uses the My Green Lab Certification, a regularly updated program that is the gold standard in laboratory sustainability best practices. The program is endorsed by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories, and recognized as key measure of progress by the United Nations Race to Zero campaign for the pharma and medtech industries. Across the academic, government, and private sectors, over 1,000 labs have been certified using the My Green Lab Certification.  

Certification is free for all JHU-affiliated labs but requires approval from the principal investigator or person in charge of the lab space. At least 50% of a lab’s personnel is required to participate, but for best results, full lab participation is encouraged.  The process takes 6-12 months to achieve certification and is an empowering opportunity for JHU’s lab community. Labs are certified as Silver, Gold, Platinum, or Green Level based on performance, their self-assessment,  and number of Sustainability Action points earned.  Once certified, labs are encouraged to continue improving practices and recertify every two years. 

The first two labs at JHU were certified in December 2020. As of July 2024, nearly 40 labs are involved in the certification process.

The JHU Green Lab Certification covers the 14 topic areas covered by the My Green Lab Certification seen below.

In addition, advanced certifications levels require labs to earn Sustainability Action Points, ranging from participation in recycling programs to completion of Green Lab Ambassador training.

A lab reaches the Commitment Level after they agree to begin the certification process and are allotted up to 3 months to complete the baseline self-assessment. Following completion of the baseline self-assessment, they will remain at the Commitment Level until they have become certified.

• Hur Lab (WSE)
• Philip Lab (WSE)
• Durr Lab (WSE)
• Hristova Lab (WSE)
• JHU Genomics at 1812 Ashland Lab (SOM)

• Wang Lab (WSE)
• Jeong Lab (WSE)
• Gu Lab (WSE)
• Sille Lab (BSPH)

• Fleming Lab (KSAS)
• Mao Lab (WSE)
• Jaffee Lab (SOM)

• Ostermeier Lab (WSE)
• Kokkoli Lab (WSE)
• Landscape Hydrology Lab (WSE/KSAS)
• EPS Rock Lab (KSAS)
• Kavran Lab (BSPH)
• GRCF DNA Services Lab (SOM)
• Polydefkis Lab (SOM)
• Arroyo Lab (SOM)

Supported by the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories and My Green Lab, the challenge is designed to promote best practices in cold storage management for laboratories around the world. Harnessing the spirit of competition, the Freezer Challenge encourages laboratories to achieve greater energy efficiency, sample integrity, and sample access. In 2023, over 2,000 labs from 27 countries participated in the Freezer Challenge to save 20.7 million kWh of energy. Labs competing at JHU saved over 400,000 kWh. 

The Freezer Challenge focuses on best practices in four key areas, many of which labs may already be doing.

• Inventory management 
• Temperature tuning 
• Retirements and Upgrades
• Cutting-Edge Practices

In 2023, JHU won Institutional Honorable Mention in the Academic Organization category. In addition, three labs won individual honors:

• Top Large Academic Laboratory: School of Medicine, GI Oncology Lab
• Honorable Mention, Academic Category: School of Medicine, Quinn/Tobian Lab
• Honorable Mention, Academic Category: School of Medicine, Daniela Čiháková Lab

In addition to making your lab and JHU more sustainable, the top performing labs from each school/campus below can win up to $5,000 in awards to be used for sustainable purchases, upgrades, or repairs. In previous years, labs have used their awards to make ULT freezer repairs and purchase new efficient freezers and other equipment.  

In 2023:

• School of Medicine: Quinn/Tobian Lab
• Bloomberg School of Public Health: Kellogg Schwab Lab
• Homewood: Karen Fleming Lab

In 2022:

• School of Medicine : Elizabeth Jaffee Lab
• Bloomberg School of Public Health: Ana Rule Lab
• Homewood Campus: Jeff Wang Lab

In 2021:

• School of Medicine Lab: Daniela Čiháková Lab
• Bloomberg School of Public Health: Ana Rule Lab
• Homewood Campus: Jeff Wang Lab

When considering specialty lab recycling below, please ensure your lab is adhering to guidelines outlined for hazardous and biohazardous waste as instructed by JHU Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE). 

• #1 and #2 plastics
  • Rinsed bottles and jugs with labels removed or defaced bottles
• Paper products such as cardboard and computer paper
  • Including cardboard coolers and cardboard insulation
• Nitrile gloves
  • Approved Kimberly Clark and Halyard, requires approval by emailing [email protected]
• Film plastic
• Rigid, white Styrofoam/expanded polystyrene
  • Free of tape, labels, and packing peanuts
• Pipette tip boxes, wafers, cartridges and plastic conical tube racks
  • NO PIPETTE TIPS
  • Drop off locations on Homewood campus: Mudd Tunnel, Croft basement
  • If you would like to request a drop-off location within your building, email [email protected]

• #1 and #2 plastics
  • Rinsed bottles and jugs with labels removed or defaced bottles
• Paper products such as cardboard and computer paper
  • Including cardboard coolers and cardboard insulation

• #1 and #2 plastics
  • Rinsed bottles and jugs with labels removed or defaced bottles
• Paper products such as cardboard and computer paper
  • Including cardboard coolers and cardboard insulation
• Pipette tip boxes, wafers, cartridges and plastic conical tube racks
  • NO PIPETTE TIPS
  • Drop off locations on E. Baltimore campus: MRB dock, CRB II dock, 2024 building, 1812 Ashland, the Genomic Center
  • If you would like to request a drop-off location within your building, email [email protected]

Please note the above recycling may not be available in buildings that are primarily associated with Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Please email [email protected] for information on specialty recycling at the other JHU-affiliated campuses.