Mohawk Labs join Green Chemistry Commitment
Mohawk College has become one of the first colleges in Canada to sign a commitment to teach sustainable lab practices.
The School of Engineering Technology announced that the Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology, and Environmental Technology (CEB) has recently signed Beyond Benign's Green Chemistry Commitment. The Green Chemistry Learning Objectives allow students to apply a sustainability lens to their learning and align with Mohawk's Climate Action Plan: Pillar 2 to enable Future Ready graduates.
Six faculty and staff have signed the agreement, demonstrating their commitment to teaching sustainable lab practices. They will promote waste and energy reduction within all chemistry, environmental, and biotechnology academic labs. Where possible, they will substitute traditionally hazardous materials with benign alternatives, which still allow for learning outcomes to be met or exceeded. They will also introduce green chemistry and sustainability concepts into the curriculum, allowing students to better apply these concepts professionally. Students will learn to evaluate all aspects of project planning, including assessing the environmental impacts of the materials they use or produce.
Faculty and staff within CEB have already made progress towards achieving these goals. The department has reduced the use of single-use plastics in labs, substituted hazardous chemicals with benign alternatives, reduced the overall amount of hazardous waste produced by decreasing the volumes of dangerous chemicals used in labs, and has reassessed purchasing practices and the sourcing of bio-based or green alternatives where possible.
Beyond Benign offers education, support, and resources for all levels of academia interested in moving towards Sustainable or "Green Chemistry" lab practices and learning.
Learn more about Mohawk's Climate Action Plan and how you can get involved!