One easy way to reduce the number of accidents in the lab is to go "green." Green chemistry, or sustainable chemistry, emerged about a decade ago, but the concept has been practiced for centuries by indigenous people of many continents. The basic principles of green chemistry are that you should use only what you need and recycle what you can. Green chemistry also seeks to foster safer reactions by substituting nonhazardous chemicals for those that pose high risks, thereby reducing the quantities of hazardous chemical waste. This paper presents several strategies that can be used to begin converting a conventional science laboratory to a "green" laboratory. Also included is a sidebar that lists the "twelve principles of green chemistry."