Save money and reduce chemical use by using up chemicals from existing stocks within your lab or from nearby labs before purchasing new.
UVM’s ChemSource Program has merged with the Lab & Life Sciences Stockroom! The Life Sciences Stockroom (located on the basement level of Marsh Life Science) provides access to a variety of laboratory supplies and chemicals commonly used for teaching and research at a discounted price with a valid UVM chartstring. For ethanol orders, main campus deliveries happen on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday each week. Offsite locations, such as Rubenstein and Colchester Research, receive deliveries during hazardous waste pick-ups, which occur the first and third Thursdays of each month.
NOTE: Chemicals will not be delivered to any office areas. Please ensure a lab building and room is listed on your order form.
Use the following best safety practices when purchasing new chemicals
Minimize chemical use. Purchase only what you need vs getting "a deal." Purchasing and using less chemicals means you generate smaller volumes of chemical waste. Think sustainably. Order only what you expect to use in one year or the smallest container available.
Use less toxic or less hazardous alternatives if you can. OSHA publishes a list of highly toxic and reactive chemicals. EPA publishes additional information about chemical alternatives: http://www.epa.gov/sustainability/analytics/chem-alt.htm
Review chemical storage limitations in your lab before placing your chemical order. Buy only what can be safely stored with the space you have been allotted. This includes checking that there is sufficient space to properly segregate and store the chemicals and that the addition will not put the lab over its' allowable chemical limits. Review the segregated chemical storage (PDF).
Review Safety Data Sheets (SDS) before purchasing. Check if the chemicals have specific storage requirements (e.g. temperature-sensitivity requiring an explosion-proof refrigerator, specific shelf-life, or expiration date).
UVM's ChemSource Program holds a license to sell non-denatured 190 and 200 proof ethanol to labs. Ordering and billing of ChemSource items is managed by the Lab & Life Sciences Stockroom.
Order chemicals and lab supplies through approved UVM vendors. UVM Procurement Services has contract pricing for scientific supplies andcompressed gases.
- Chemicals listed on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency schedules of controlled substances require DEA approval or a physician's prescription. The DEA does not allow UVM to centrally purchase these materials. DEA materials used with animal research can be purchased through UVM's veterinarian.
- Bleach can be purchased at a local grocery store. Materials Management does NOT stock bleach for campus labs. Buy mercury free bleach. A-1 is a recommended brand.
Will your use of this chemical produce a waste that requires special management? If you're unsure, contact safety@uvm.edu to find out.
Does this chemical present any special security requirements. DEA controlled substances, chemicals on the DHS's Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism list, and toxins on the Select Agents list may trigger security requirements.