Green Labs Marketplace
Green Labs Marketplace
The problem: Labs purchase surplus or unused supplies which sit in lab spaces and waste space. Sharing resources reduces the need for purchasing new supplies, and labs that have a surplus or unused supply can divest those supplies and make space in their stockrooms! Furthermore, sharing resources minimizes waste by diverting usable materials from
As such, Green Labs aims to tackle this issue by developing a Green Labs Marketplace to exchange unnecessary lab supplies with labs that may need of those items.
Our plan: We have developed an online resource where labs can "shop" for supplies that other labs have posted, and have created an easy interface for labs to upload their unneeded supplies! Sarah Kumar, a dedicated volunteer with Green Labs, developed this online resource for us to use in late 2024 (with launch in early 2025), and has been instrumental in the development, debugging, and maintenance of this resource since then!
Update: Since launching in March 2025, the Green Labs Marketplace has saved labs $4,600+ on lab supplies, equipment, and chemicals!
In addition, the Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting Facility has picked up supplies from two different biotech companies who closed down in 2025, diverting and saving supplies from landfill worth over $13,000 for Caltech labs! Kudos to this amazing group of researchers, who consistently go above and beyond their typical duties, and show evidence that small efforts can make huge differences! Keep up the good work!!
Caltech community members find and rehome items on the Caltech Marketplace listserve (campus network or VPN required) and at the Caltech Women's Club casita exchange (email link), and donate laboratory equipment to schools and community colleges that need it, via the Laboratory Equipment Access Program (LEAP).