Sustainable Lab Certification (SLC)

Certified Offices 

Be one of the first labs to become certified! Check out the Application section, below, to find the scoresheet. Once you are officially certified, your lab’s name and rating will be posted here. 

The Sustainable Lab Certification (SLC) is a comprehensive certification process open to research and scientific labs on Western’s campus. The program is housed collaboratively between the Scientific Technical Services department (SciTech) and the Sustainability Engagement Institute (SEI). Labs have the opportunity to be sustainably certified through this program by completely a brief self-audit process that focuses on the categories of energy usage, waste streams, purchasing/inventory, and training/education. Labs who participate are able to achieve a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum rating, which reflects their overall sustainability efforts. The certification is able to be renewed each year, providing our labs the opportunity to increase their score over time and deepen their understanding of how to live and work sustainably. 

Completing the self-audit provides a way for researchers to contribute directly to the sustainability goals outlined in Western’ Strategic Plan and Sustainability Action Plan and take action to strengthen Western’s role as a leader in sustainability in the Pacific Northwest. The program offers hands-on experience for students working in sustainable lab spaces and allows students to think critically about the ways labs contribute to carbon emissions.

This program began as a project by students taking the Campus Sustainability Planning Studio course (UEPP 471) in Fall 2023. With help from the SciTech department, the students created a sustainability audit that lab members self-complete to receive their scoring. This was based on Western’s Sustainable Office Certification, which was developed in 2017 and has recently been relaunched. In February, the project was awarded a grant from the Sustainability, Equity and Justice Fund (SEJF). This grant money will be used to purchase sustainable lab supplies that are available to the first ten labs who complete the audit. The program officially launched in May of 2024.

Step 1: Download a copy of the self-audit excel spreadsheet HERE.

Step 2: Fill out all four sections of the audit excel for your lab. 

The topics covered include energy, waste streams, purchasing/inventory, and education. Additional instructions are provided on the first page of the audit. The audit should only take approximately 15 minutes to fill out. The audit automatically calculates your lab's sustainability score so you can see how your space is doing immediately. 

Step 3: Email the completed audit Excel to the program lead, Alyssa Tsukada at alyssa.tsukada@wwu.edu. Please include the name of the lab's PI and the associated department in your email.

Step 4: You will receive your lab certificate and be added to the website leaderboard soon after submission.

If you get stuck when completing an action or have questions regarding the scoresheet, feel free to contact the program lead, Alyssa Tsukada at alyssa.tsukada@wwu.edu, and we will help you find the resources you need. You can also request a virtual or in-person appointment.

Thank you for taking an interest in making Western more sustainable!