Looking for a way to expand your professional development without increasing your carbon footprint? Plan to join us throughout February for Education Month, I2SL’s fourth annual virtual, international learning event in conjunction with Sustainable Labs Canada (SLCan), I2SL UK, and the EGNATON sustainable lab organization of Europe. To accommodate busy schedules and expand on our previous format, I2SL will be hosting live sessions each Thursday in February, along with a free preview day on January 29 , featuring updates from I2SL and our international host organizations, as well as a taste of the topics to be covered each Thursday in February.

Recognizing that research facilities across the globe can benefit from automated energy audits, the Actionable Insights and Measures (AIM) software tool has gone global! Now lab owners, campus planners, facility managers, engineers, and consultants around the world can use AIM to identify and prioritize lab building efficiency improvements in their whole portfolio of buildings for a fraction of the cost of an in-person energy audit.

Each year, the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) recognizes outstanding programs and initiatives that enhance sustainability within laboratories. I2SL honored three organizations—AstraZeneca, Boston Children’s Hospital, and McGill University—for their overall commitment to green labs, waste reduction, and energy efficiency improvements at its Annual Conference in Dallas on October 21.

While autoclaving is an effective way to treat waste from medical and research operations, autoclaves can also waste large amounts of water and energy in labs if they are not operated and maintained properly. One steam-sterilizing autoclave can use 84 kwh of electricity per day (enough to power about 2.8 homes); operating autoclaves properly, running them with only full loads, and keeping them in good repair can keep energy use and costs down in labs.

The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) is coming back to Boston for our next Annual Conference, September 13 through 16 at the Encore Boston Harbor Hotel. Hundreds of lab owners, operators, designers, engineers, managers, builders, and green labs professionals will attend technical sessions, visit exhibits, network with peers, and tour sustainable laboratories. Boston boasts the nation’s first college and remains a hub of biotechnology and research, offering the perfect setting for discussing the latest sustainable lab innovations.