The UW–Madison Office of Sustainability invites campus laboratories to register for the My Green Lab Certification Program. This free-to-you program helps labs reduce their environmental impact while offering a practical way to contribute to the university’s broader sustainability goals.
In the 2024-2025 academic year, the Office of Sustainability’s Green Labs team certified 8 labs on campus, with Magnetic Resonance Laboratory achieving the highest Green level certification. The Green Labs team celebrates and recognizes all research labs that have completed My Green Lab certification and demonstrated their commitment to sustainability. All certification results for participating labs can be viewed on the program website.
You can learn more about the program and register your lab at the link below:
My Green Lab® is a globally recognized organization working to advance sustainability in scientific research. Laboratories face unique challenges related to purchasing, water use, energy consumption, waste generation, and more. My Green Lab certification offers researchers structured opportunities to address these challenges while continuing to conduct world-class research.
The program is available to the first 50 UW–Madison laboratories, with registration open through August 15. Certification is free and can help reduce costs, improve health and safety, and promote collaboration on best management practices between labs.
The Office of Sustainability’s Green Labs Team will support participating labs throughout the process, with a dedicated intern assigned to each lab. Participating labs will also receive tailored resources from My Green Lab®— such as engagement plans, worksheets, and case studies—to help them advance their sustainability practices. The Program Summary below outlines the timeline, requirements, and expectations.
If you or your lab personnel have any questions, please email greenlabs@g-groups.wisc.edu.
Program Summary
| Dates | Milestone | Description |
|---|---|---|
| July 1 - August 15 | Registration | Interested UW-Madison laboratories must complete the registration form by August 15th to participate in the upcoming program. The first 50 laboratories to sign-up will be enrolled in the program. |
| August 16 - September 1 | Lab Setup | An Office of Sustainability Intern will be assigned as your project manager. They will setup your virtual workspace. The primary lab contact will fill out a spreadsheet listing the names and emails of each lab member. |
| August 16 - September 14 | Kickoff | Your project manager will conduct a 30-minute teleconference kickoff call with laboratory leaders. |
| September 15 - October 15 | Baseline Assessment | The My Green Lab organization will email a baseline assessment to each lab member. The self-assessment takes up to 1-hour to complete. |
| Note: For laboratories under 10 members, all members must complete the assessment. For laboratories with 10 or more members, a minimum of 50% of the members must complete the assessment. | ||
| October 16 - October 31 | Feedback | The My Green Lab organization will generate a feedback report and presentation. Your project manager will upload the report and presentation into your virtual workspace. |
| October 16 - October 31 | Action Tracker | The project manager will create an action tracker in your lab's virtual workspace. The action tracker will allow your lab members to prioritize which sustainable lab practices the group will undertake. |
| October 16 - November 30 | Site Visit | The project manager will setup a site visit to review the Action Tracker and perform an optional walkthrough of your laboratory. Please budget a minimum of 1.5 hours. |
| November 1 - March 15 | Improvement | Lab members will implement operational and behavioral changes that are selected in the Action Tracker. |
| March 16 - April 15 | Reassessment | The My Green Lab organization will email a reassessment to each lab member. The re-assessment takes up to 1-hour to complete. |
| Note: For laboratories under 10 members, all members must complete the reassessment. For laboratories with 10 or more members, a minimum of 50% of the members must complete the reassessment. | ||
| May 1 - May 30 | Certification | The My Green Lab organization will assign a certification based on your reassessment score. |
| June 1 - June 30 | Communications | The My Green Lab organization will issue a certificate to display at your laboratory and a virtual badge to display on your website. The Office of Sustainability will update its webpage and issue University-wide communications for your accomplishment. |
| +2 years | Recertification | The My Green Lab Certification will be valid for 2 years. You are encouraged to reapply for the My Green Lab Certification program because laboratory sustainability is a dynamic and evolving topic— new technologies and products can redefine best practices and opportunities. My Green Lab reviews and updates its programs periodically. |
Hero Image: Interns from the Office of Sustainability meet with Magnetic Resonance Lab leaders in front of the lab’s electron magnetic resonance (EMR) spectrometer as part of the My Green Lab Certification process.