Manage Waste
- Divert uncontaminated plastics (#1, #2) away from biohazardous waste using easy-access recycling bins.
- Order products packaged with minimal packaging.
- Recycle or trash single-use products (e.g., rinsed culture media containers).
- Encourage University of Iowa to recycle polypropylene.
Save Energy
- Increase ultralow temp (ULT) freezer temperatures to -70°C.
- Organize efficiently stored samples, close ULT freezer doors as quickly as possible.
- Assign finite footprint for sample storage.
- Shut down large equipment (e.g., autoclaves, biosafety cabinets) when not in use, especially overnight and weekends.
- Optimize autoclave load size for full loads, decrease cycle length when possible.
Promote Efficiency
- Encourage equipment and space sharing.
- Clearly label samples to reduce unnecessary long-term storage.
- Ask departing employees to clean out cold storage, only keep important samples/reagents.
About Us
We are a growing group of University of Iowa scientists seeking to improve biomedical research sustainability practices in UI campus laboratories.
