Earth Month Ideas to Springboard Sustainability and Savings

Earth Month in April is an annual opportunity to remind researchers and facility staff about the importance of sustainability in laboratories and build momentum for initiatives that can change the way research is conducted. Looking for inspiration for an initiative to launch in labs this Earth Month? How about three? I2SL’s LabSavers campaign provides tools to conduct lab clean-outs and space evaluation. Equipment sharing programs demonstrate ways to save lab space, energy, and money. And the International Freezer Challenge promotes energy-saving cold storage best practices.

I2SL created the LabSavers campaign as a resource for research campuses to plan, promote, and execute laboratory clean-outs to inventory and properly store lab chemicals and supplies and consolidate equipment. Space evaluation can free up valuable resources for research without constructing a new lab building. Donating unused equipment to an organization such as Seeding Labs or a local school can also free up space for research. LabSavers provides a tool kit of how-to guides, customizable posters and fliers, social media posts, and other promotional resources. Check out the LabSavers web page to watch real-world examples and learn about three universities’ policies and processes for lab space assessments.

The University of Colorado Boulder (CU Boulder) Green Labs program conducted a four-year pilot to demonstrate the potential for more efficient use of campus lab equipment across three departments with 100 lab groups. The pilot resulted in $3 million in avoided equipment purchases and achieved a 1,000 percent return on investment. It also resulted in the creation of a full-time position and a Green Labs Core that houses various pieces of shared equipment.

During a recent University Alliance Group meeting, Luke Wheeler, the CU Boulder shared equipment coordinator, spoke about how this model creates more access to equipment on campus and gives teaching labs the opportunity for students to use equipment they otherwise would not have access to use. CU Boulder’s Green Labs Core manages about 100 pieces of equipment, has avoided $26,000 in repair costs, and has diverted surplus items valued at $22,000!

Hosted by I2SL and My Green Lab, the Freezer Challenge is an international competition among 3,700 laboratories in 36 countries. Optimizing cold storage in labs reduces energy consumption without compromising the integrity of samples. The Freezer Challenge encourages sample clean-out, preventative maintenance, temperature tuning, and freezer retirement and upgrades. Participants log actions in an online scoresheet, earning points for each effort completed, and receive a summary of the savings they achieve. Winners are recognized at the I2SL Annual Conference. Register to participate anytime between now and June!