My Green Lab and the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) are thrilled to announce that the 2023 Freezer Challenge has saved a whopping 20.7 million kWh of energy, corresponding to about 14,663 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent — more than double the amount of CO2 saved in last year’s challenge!

In our largest competition ever, nearly 2,000 laboratories around the world participated in the Freezer Challenge — a free competition that promotes energy efficiency through best practices in cold storage management. This year, participating labs contributed to saving energy equivalent to 37.5 million miles driven by an average gas-powered vehicle.

​“The success of the 2023 Freezer Challenge underscores the dedicated efforts of thousands of scientists worldwide. Doubling last year’s CO2 savings reflects a shared commitment to sustainable practices in energy conservation,” says James Connelly, CEO, My Green Lab. “The exponential growth in impact from the Freezer Challenge signals a shift in the science industry to embrace sustainability. It proves that small actions in the lab multiplied across the globe can have a significant impact.”

Launched globally in 2017 by My Green Lab and I2SL, the International Laboratory Freezer Challenge has saved 44.7 million kWh worth of energy to date, reducing CO2 emissions by 31,678 metric tons, which is the equivalent of saving energy consumed by 6,164 homes for one year.

This year’s incredible growth is an indication that the scientific sector is taking sustainability seriously. Labs from 27 different countries contributed to a 42% rise in participating organizations compared to 2022, reflecting a wider global involvement.

2023 Freezer Challenge Winners

​With over 26,000 participating cold storage units, thousands of scientists and 170 organizations committed to sustainability took part in making this year’s challenge a success. Over the course of the six-month competition, labs accumulate points for adopting sustainable practices concerning their cold storage units, including actions that enhance energy efficiency, ensure sample accessibility, and maintain sample integrity. To determine the winners, the number of points earned as well as the amount of energy saved by each lab was considered.

​While every participating lab is a winner for helping save an incredible amount of energy, we are proud to recognize labs and organizations in several categories for their noteworthy contributions to the 2023 Freezer Challenge. Winners will be recognized at the upcoming I2SL Annual Conference in October and will also be interviewed for an article in Lab Manager magazine.

Testimonials from Some of Our 2023 Winners 

“We are delighted to be recognised with the Top Organization and Small Size Lab Awards. Participating in the Freezer Challenge is more than a friendly challenge among colleagues; it signifies our collective commitment to sustainable science. Every kilowatt saved reflects our dedication to not only pioneering research but also to safeguarding our planet for future generations. We all have a role to play.” — Juliette White, CBE, Vice President, Global Sustainability and Safety, Health & Environment, AstraZeneca.

“We were delighted to hear the news of winning the award. Signing up to the challenge motivated us to implement a management plan for our cold storage equipment and it was well worth the effort.” — Dr. Jane Kilcoyne, Analytical Chemist at Marine Institute Ireland.

“The GI/Onc group has been a part of the Green Labs initiative here at Hopkins since day one. Earning the Freezer Challenge award is icing on the cake, the cake being our Platinum My Green Lab Certification. We plan on earning Green during our recertification.” — James Leatherman, Lab Manager for GI Oncology Research, Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee and the team at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

​List of All Our 2023 Winners:
Note: Winning Streak Awards are given to previous year’s winners that exceeded their energy savings from last year. 

Biotech/Pharmaceutical Sector Winners 

• Top Organization Award: AstraZeneca
• Winning Streak Award: Amgen
• Top Large Lab Award​: Genetic Toxicology – Cell Health Assessment of Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson in Belgium
• Top Medium Lab Award: Bioprocess Development (BD) Pre-Pivotal Drug Substance Technology (DST) of Amgen in the United States of America
• Top Small Lab Award: Biobank Gothenburg of AstraZeneca in Sweden
• Top Biorepository Award: Labcorp Biorepository – Labcorp Central Laboratory Services

​
Academic Sector Winners

• Top Organization Award: University of Alabama Birmingham in the United States of America
• Winning Streak Award: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the United States of America
• Lab Winning Streak Award: The Indiana CTSI Specimen Storage Facility at the Indiana University School of Medicine
• Top Large Lab Award​: GI Onc at Johns Hopkins University
• Top Medium Lab Award: Illinois Natural History Survey-Wildlife Veterinary Epidemiology Laboratory
• Top Small Lab Award: Kerppola Lab of University of Michigan in the United States of America
• Top Biorepository Award: Vet Anatomy Dissection Lab of University College Dublin in Ireland

Government Sector Winners

• Top Government Organization Award:​ National Institutes of Health in the United States of America
• Top Large Lab Award​: CFIA Greater Toronto Area Lab of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency in Canada
• Top Medium Lab Award: Biochemistry Laboratory of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in the United Kingdom
• Top Small Lab Award: Biotoxin Chemistry Lab of Marine Institute Ireland in Ireland
• Top Biorepository Award: Molecular Biology of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in the United Kingdom

Hospital/Clinical/Other Winners

• Top Organization Award: Amsterdam UMC
• Winning Streak Award: Boston Children’s Hospital
• Top Large Lab Award​: Southwest Pathology Services of SYNLAB Group in the United Kingdom
• Top Medium Lab Award: Lab of Experimental Immunology – Klein Lab of University Hospital Cologne in Germany
• Top Small Lab Award: Immunologic Monitoring and Cellular Products Laboratory of UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in the USA
• Top Biorepository Award: Amsterdam UMC Biobank

Honorable Mentions

• Organizations (all sectors):
  • Institute of Cancer Research, United Kingdom
  • Johns Hopkins University, United States of America
  • Genentech
  • Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson
  • Q Squared Solutions (IQVIA)
  • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, United States of America
  • Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, United Kingdom
• Labs (all sectors, all lab sizes):
  • Cihakova Lab – Johns Hopkins University
  • Quinn/Tobian Lab – Johns Hopkins University
  • Edberg Lab – University of Alabama Birmingham
  • Ray Ming Lab – University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
  • Clinical Research Specimen Processing (CRSP) Core, University of Michigan Health Rogel Cancer Center, USA
  • TS&BA Pathology Lab – Amgen
  • Cardiometabolic Disorders (ASF) – Amgen
  • Lab Services in Slough UK – Avantor/UCB
  • AD Bioassay Cambridge – Biogen
  • DTMP-LECP Team in Belgium – Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson
  • Labcorp Biorepository – Labcorp Central Laboratory Services
  • S&T Labs – Nestlé
  • Maple Leaf Foods, Technical Services, Central Laboratory
  • Integrated Diagnostics – LifeArc
  • Biopathology Center at Nationwide Children’s Abigail Wexner Research Institute
  • Mark Andermann Lab – Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
  • Pathology-Biobanking-Research – Amsterdam UMC
  • Experimental Vascular Medicine Lab of Amsterdam UMC

​Learn more about the Freezer Challenge here.

Interested in getting notified when the 2024 competition launches?
​Sign up via the button below.

The Freezer Challenge is a joint program run by My Green Lab and the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) and is made possible through the generosity of industry sponsors. Our sponsors for the 2023 competition are: Eppendorf, Stirling Ultracold, B Medical Systems, Gilead, Elemental Machines, Amgen, PHCbi, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.