The UW–Madison Office of Sustainability is proud to announce the expansion of the My Green Lab Certification Program. 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 sustainability challenges related to purchasing, water use, energy consumption, waste generation, and more. My Green Lab certification offers researchers opportunities to address these challenges while continuing to conduct world-class scientific research.
The 2023-2024 UW–Madison program is available to the first 50 laboratories who sign up, with registration closing on August 25th, 2023. The program saw a successful pilot implementation in the 2022-2023 academic year. The certification program is free for participating labs and can help reduce costs, reduce environmental impact, improve health and safety of the lab, and promote collaboration on best management practices between labs.
To register your lab, please fill out the registration form by clicking the blue button above. Participating laboratories will be paired with an intern from the Office of Sustainability who will be the primary point of contact throughout the certification process. My Green Lab will also provide resources throughout the process such as engagement plans, worksheets, case studies, and posters to help implement suggested practices. Below, we offer a program summary of the certification process.
If you or your lab personnel have any questions, please email greenlabs@g-groups.wisc.edu.
Program Summary
| Date(s) | Milestone | Description |
| July 1 - August 25 | Registration | Interested UW-Madison laboratories must complete the registration form by August 25th to participate in the upcoming program. The first 50 laboratories to sign-up will be enrolled in the program. |
| August 26 - 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. |
| September 15 - October 15 | Baseline Assessment | The My Green Lab organization will email a baseline assessment to each lab member. The self-assessment takes 30-45 minutes to complete. IMPORTANT: A minimum of 50% of the lab members must complete the baseline assessment by October 15 to remain in the program. |
| 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 walkthrough your laboratory. Please budget a minimum of 1-hour. |
| November 1 - March 15 | Improvement | Your lab members will implement operational and behavioral changes that have been prioritized in the action tracker. |
| March 16 - April 15 | Reassessment | The My Green Lab organization will email a re-assessment to each lab member. The re-assessment takes 30-45 minutes to complete. IMPORTANT: A minimum of 50% of the lab members must complete the baseline assessment by April 15 to be eligible for certification. |
| May 1 - May 30 | Certification | The My Green Lab organization will assign a certification based on your assessment 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 | Your 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. |