Outstanding Sustainable Lab Programs and Initiatives Inspire Others in Their Sectors

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.

AstraZeneca received the Organizational Commitment in the Pharmaceutical Industry Award. The company has achieved My Green Lab (MGL) certifications for 129 labs of its laboratories, with over 4,500 scientists engaged in the effort. All of AstraZeneca’s manufacturing and supply sites have achieved the highest level of MGL certification. AstraZeneca’s labs have saved over 5,000 megawatt hours of electricity annually through behavior change initiatives such as the Freezer Challenge, fume hood “shut the sash” efforts, and AstraZeneca’s own Switch Off Optimization Program, or SWOOP. The company also reduced lab water use by 11,000 kiloliters and eliminated 300 metric tons of waste.

Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) earned the Organizational Commitment in Healthcare Award, with a nationally recognized green labs program since 2017. Lab-level "green champions" receive toolkits, templates, signage, and hands-on support, while lab staff participate in training sessions and departmental seminars. BCH’s participation in the International Freezer Challenge has reduced their greenhouse gas emissions by 108 metric tons between 2022 and 2023. BCH has also launched a polystyrene and expanded plastics recycling program. And with the help of a $10,000 grant, BCH Green Labs expanded plastics recycling for pipette tip boxes and media bottles to 80 percent of labs.

McGill University in Montreal was recognized with the Organizational Commitment in Higher Education Award for its initiatives to engage campus lab users in sustainability efforts since 2017. McGill has a certification program to assess and benchmark individual labs; since 2023, over 300 lab staff and students have helped 12 labs achieve McGill’s Sustainable Lab Certification. About 45 percent of McGill’s non-hazardous lab waste is now accepted in the recycling stream, and organic waste is being collected by the city of Montreal for composting. McGill has also created a fund for green lab projects from student fees, which is matched by the university.

In addition to the overall award winners, four other organizations were honored for their specific lab sustainability programs or initiatives:

• AstraZeneca was given an Ecosystem Sustainability Initiative Award for their efforts to significantly reduce, and ultimately eliminate, their labs’ reliance on horseshoe crab lysate for endotoxin testing by using a water testing method instead.

• CÚRAM was honored with a Pioneering Green Labs in Ireland Award; they have implemented and advocated for green labs within the Research Ireland Centre for Medical Devices in the University of Galway and at the national level.

• InBio received a Waste Reduction and Employee Initiatives Award; they diverted over 1,800 pounds of rigid lab plastics and reduced the plastic packaging they use for their own products by creating their own flatpack paperboard boxes.

• University of Alabama at Birmingham received an Energy Reduction Behavior Change Award for their walk-through program to identify areas in their labs where they could save energy and encourage researchers to shut off unused equipment.

Read more about these and other 2025 Sustainable Lab Award winners on the I2SL website.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2026 Sustainable Laboratory Awards program; apply here!