Laboratories are some of the most resource-intensive spaces on the planet, using 10x more energy and 4x more water than office spaces and creating 12 billion pounds of waste each year. Going green is no longer an option but a requirement for creating long-term, positive changes to the way we operate in the lab. If you are part of a faculty setting up a new laboratory, or part of a team that is updating an existing lab, incorporating sustainable design elements should be a key priority.
With over 1,200 labs from 27 countries and over 12,000 cold storage units participating, the 2022 Freezer Challenge has saved a total of 6,732 metric tons of carbon dioxide! This is the equivalent of the energy consumption of over 1,300 homes for one year. Since it's launch in 2017, the International Laboratory Freezer Challenge from My Green Lab and the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) has saved a total of 24 million kWh of energy, reducing emissions by 16,796 metric tons, the equivalent of saving energy consumed by 3,268 homes for one year.
To honor their commitment to sustainability, My Green Lab is proud to award CatSci with a Platinum Green Lab Certification for their Chemistry Lab as well as a Silver Green Lab Certification for their Cardiff-based Analytical Lab.
It's our pleasure to share with you the video that we put together featuring the impact of the Freezer Challenge and many testimonials from the 2021 Freezer Challenge winners!
This year's International Freezer Challenge now has over 150 labs from 18 different countries participating in this year's competition. Amazing!
Solutions to the world's biggest problems, including climate change and the coronavirus pandemic, are studied in research laboratories across the globe. But as sterile as those labs may appear, they have a dirty secret: immense carbon footprints.
