The Green Lab team administers a customized My Green Lab Certification program each academic year. If you missed the deadline and are still interested, please complete the registration form to be eligible for the next session.
- How much does it cost? $0 (Free to labs that complete entire program)
- Who’s eligible? Laboratories at the University of Wisconsin–Madison
- When’s the deadline? Register by August 15 each year (Max 50 labs per session)
- How many years is the certification valid? 2 years
Please complete the registration form if you wish to recertify your laboratory.
Register here!
Registration deadline is August 15th of each year using the link above.
Program Summary
Participating labs are expected to complete the following tasks in order to become certified.
| 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. |
Levels of Certification
There are five levels of certification: bronze, silver, gold, platinum, and green.
The level of certification is determined by the score on the certification assessment. It reflects both the percentage of possible green lab best practices that have been adopted and the extent to which they have been adopted by the lab. Rather than requiring labs to complete a discrete set of activities to achieve each level, this program allows lab members to focus on what they can change at that time and achieve higher levels of certification as they are able to adopt more best practices.
Certified Labs
More Opportunities
My Green Lab Ambassador Program
The My Green Lab Ambassador Program is designed for scientists and laboratory professionals who are motivated to encourage their lab to be more sustainable. This free, online learning program will provide you with a quick introduction to lab sustainability and ideas for how sustainable actions can be implemented at your organization. By becoming a My Green Lab Ambassador you will be able to jumpstart your lab’s journey into sustainability.
Lab Management - Community of Practice
Community driven best practices for lab management professionals at UW-Madison. Communities of practice serve many purposes. Collaborate with colleagues who share similar challenges. Share your expertise. Join us to discuss ways to optimize lab and core success. This community is for anyone who is in a lab management role including research labs, core labs and instructional labs.
My Green Lab Freezer Challenge
The My Green Lab Freezer Challenge is a free, annual competition for laboratories held virtually between January and June every year. The Freezer Challenge empowers labs to adopt smarter, more sustainable cold storage practices. By optimizing storage methods and reducing energy consumption, the program helps labs minimize their environmental impact and save costs, while improving the efficiency of scientific work.