College of Chemistry Chemical Reuse Facility Expansion

College of Chemistry Chemical Reuse Facility Expansion

Project Leads: Michael Kumpf, Emery Wilson

Project Sponsor: College of Chemistry

TGIF Grant: $2,000

Project Theme: Waste Reduction

Application Submission

Project Description: UC Berkeley currently has no formal program in place to allow for lecture bottle-size compressed gases to be reused by other researchers on campus who have a need for the same product, even for bottles that are hardly used or unused. Once a researcher purchases a lecture bottle-size compressed gas cylinder and no longer has a need for it, the only recourse available to that researcher is to store it as part of the lab’s chemical inventory indefinitely or arrange for its costly disposal. Despite small localized efforts to exchange chemicals between research groups, the College of Chemistry’s large size limits effective sharing. This project will add an important resource to the existing chemical ReUSE program while supporting the College’s waste minimization efforts.

Project Goals:

  1. Fund student assistant labor to support the increased work necessary to allow this exchange program to operate.
  2. Gas cylinders now have a safe storage space in the College of Chemistry, and through the online exchange program, researchers can request free delivery of gas cylinders to their labs.

Final Report

Final Poster